LIMITED LIST: The Beauty of Small Things: Another Alto Piemonte Gem Following Our 95 Point Lessona Discovery - Only 84 Bottles

2016 La Psigula Bramaterra
 - The Smallest Producer in Bramaterra
 - If Quazzolo (Langhe) Made Bramaterra
 - Nose: Ethereal/Like Volnay 1er Cru
 - Floral, Expansive and Delicate
 - Loads of Tar and Tobacco
 - Cherries, Cherry Flower, Mineral and Sour Cherry
 - Layered and Haunting. Like Volnay 1er Cru
 - Palate: Loads of Energy and Purity
 - Rich and Decadent but with Cutting Acids
 - Terrific Inner Mouth Florals
 - So Well Made - No Hard Edges
 - Ripe and Rich but Ephemeral and Deep

I'm working on assembling a collection of small gems in Alto Piemonte.  I'm trying to make sure that each of them is a little different. Today's winery is a a completely different ballgame. This is a micro, micro production winery.  Which means that they can give a tremendous amount of focus on each vine and maximize the ripeness of the fruit.  So you get:
 - a combination of the traditional aromatic expression that we love in Alto Piemonte and
 -  some of the best, most precise fruit clarity of any wine we've sold from the region. It reminds me of our cult Langhe producer Danilo Quazzolo. Like if he made wine in Bramaterra. That's a very high compliment if you have tasted the brilliant wines of Quazzolo.

This, like the wines of 95 point La Badina and cult favorite Henrik Mobitz, is a passion project. You can't earn back the hours spent on a wine of this price. So please enjoy these wines. These wines are treasures.

Bramaterra, An Interlude
Today I am bringing you one of my latest discoveries and this is one of the
The Beauty of Small Things in the Alto Piemonte Gold Rush
We are quietly assembling the best portfolio of Alto Piemonte wines in the states, bar none.  I'd like

to say that I'm just that good, but really it's a confluence of events that has landed this in my lap.
 - There is tremendous interest by a new generation of growers who love the region and want to make wine there.
 - These growers are starting out and are very, very small.  So they spend a huge amount of effort making stunning wines but...
 - ...there is not enough wine for even small regional distributors to sell - you can't have a 3 tier distributor with salespeople running around selling a 60 bottle allocation. 

So basically, these ridiculously good producers just fall in my lap.  I'm well known in Alto Piemonte for being an absolute freak for the wines and I just get E-Mails and they send samples and I sell them.
smallest producers in Alto Piemonte and by far the smallest producer in Bramaterra. They are also the youngest and newest producer in Bramaterra. There are only 10 producers now in Bramaterra and we have two. Bramaterra is to the west of Ghemme and Gattinara. For me the signature of Brameterra is finesse, spice and structure, versus something like Gattinara or Fara which are more about power. Their weight is more like what the Langhe wines used to have 30 years ago before global warming as they are a bit further north (and the soil is so poor).

La Psigula
Giacomo and Claudia Foglia's La Psigula is a dream come true for them. Claudia is a school teacher and Giacomo is a surveyor and they both still have their day jobs. Their first vintage was 2014 which is a difficult vintage for your first vintage  in Alto Piemonte but then they made a brilliant wine in 2015 and now we have the 2016 which is their greatest accomplishment yet. Yes 2016 is brilliant in the Langhe as we know but 2016 is as brilliant in Alto Piemonte. The most complete young Alto Piemonte vintage I've tasted so far. The wines have a thrilling character with so much energy, transparency and fruit you can't believe how inexpensive the wine is.

The wine is  the 2016 La Psigula Bramaterra for $35.99 a bottle on a 4-pack.

It is made from 25% 70+ year old vines and 75% 10-15 year old vines. The vineyard has stunning sun exposition. The vineyard and vine age has to explain the unbelievable depth of this wine. It is so deep and this, to my palate, seems like this will be a 20+ year wine. This has impressed me like no other newcomer in Alto Piemonte has since La Badina, which just got 95 points from Antonio Galloni at Vinous.

The nose. This wine needs like 30 minutes to get going and then whoah. Floral, expansive and delicate nose with  loads of tar and tobacco. Mid to end of season cherries, cherry flower, mineral and sour cherry abound. Fragrant off the bat but really needs 10-15 minutes to get going and it becomes ethereal. I was blown away by the nose. Ethereal is the best word. Gorgeous wet leaves and a Burgundian sensibility. Layered and haunting. Like Volnay 1er Cru.  On day 2, like a haunted forest. Like wow. Dark flowers and vivid black cherries. Dried tea leaves. Damson. Smoke.  Glorious wine..

Rich and decadent palate yet with cutting acids, bonkers energy, big black and red cherry fruit and soft, caressing but substantial tannins. Loads of energy and purity. This wine just engages your palate like nothing else. Terrific inner mouth florals with great balance and juiciness. Lovely very high  tannin quality and awesome ethereal and haunting finesse. This is terrific.  After some air this becomes more compact, even more energetic, fresher  and more complete. Brilliant wine. No hard edges and super engaging mid palate which crashes into a painfully intense tiny berry fruited finish with glorious sap and structure. Incredible. On day 2 , palate is ripe and rich but ephemeral and deep. Big ripe tannins. That contrast is what makes this wine so enraging. The richness matches the energy and they spar on your palate. Tons of sap and purity. Will age beautifully. Very refined and very well made wine. This is an extremely important new voice in Bramaterra and they will be a force to be reckoned with.


This will age 15-20 years and will provide thrilling drinking the whole time.

2016 La Psigula Bramaterra - $37.99 ($143.96 4-pack) 

Our First 2019 Riesling - No Choice ... Keller's Top Disciple Sells Out Her Top Wine within Weeks - The Best Riesling Ever for This Cult Favorite

Keller's Rockstar Protege: Juliane Eller Is the Darling of the Riesling Geeks - Fass List Favorite, Get on the List While You Can
 - The 2018 Riesling Fruhmesse Trocken Sold Out Before We Could Get a Bottle

2019 Juwel Riesling Fruhmesse Trocken
  - Her Most Keller-Like Wine
 - A Fass Cult Favorite
 - One of the Top Sites in the Rheinhessen
 - Please Buy Enough to Hold Some for 5 Years 
 - You Cannot Believe How Well Made This Is
 - Julianne Has Made "The Leap" - This is Elite Dry Riesling
 - Nose A Complex Monster of Minerality
 - Borders on Tensile
 - Palate: Elevated but in Balance Acidity
 - Impossibly Complex
 - Insane Concentration on the Finish
 - The Minerality Is Absolutely Piercing  
 - "GG" For Under $40

This Is An Important Offer - Here's Why

Klaus Peter Keller is without a doubt the Jean-Marc Roulot, the Jeremy Seysses of Germany. He has a small number of famous proteges and today's winemaker is one of the most important. She has shot to the top of a small list of superstar German winemakers and we are lucky to represent her. Very lucky.

Klaus Peter Keller's style is one of stunning precision combined with a hidden density.  It's not mostly wall of flavor wine but a remarkable polished elegance with a velvet glove of density.

Julienne learned well from the master and crated her own style that is Kelleresque but also, uniquely, her own. 
 - Her wines have the Keller precision and velvet glove density
 - But there is a freshly powdered mineral element to them as well
 - They shimmer with delicacy but also have super Fassy acidity and freshness.

These wines are almost Champagne-like in their mineral density and citrus perfume. You don't have

to be a geek to appreciate them - they are delicious.  But if you really get fine white wine, these are wines to really appreciate.

Julienne has yet to join the German trade association (the VDP, which sets minimum prices) and her wines are still stunning values. 2019 is looking to be a heralded vintage. This is a wine that will age wonderfully.

The 2019 Vintage
2019 has much lower yields than in 2018 and just a stunningly perfect balance between fruit ripeness, dense yet delicate minerals and high, stable acidity. The energy and compactness cannot be believed.

From what little that I have tasted 2019 is just an iota above 2018 in terms of precision and terroir expression. This is because it was a cooler vintage overall. There is a ton off buzz in Germany about the vintage and it's looking to be a very important one.
Germany's "It" Winery

Even 7.5 years into Fass Selections I drop the ball every now and then and I totally missed the 2018 Juwel Riesling Fruhmesse which is her "GG." She sold out in less than 3 weeks at the winery and it was before she was scheduled on our yearly planner. I underestimated her popularity in Germany, but I knew that after the breathtaking 2017 Fruhmesse the 2018 would be snatched up quickly. I had no idea how quickly. Julianne is hugely popular in Germany. 25,000 Instagram followers for a brand new winery in Germany is insanely impressive. Combine all that with Julianne being one of the best young winemakers in all of Germany and the stuff sells out fast and I'm not letting it happen again.

The Wine
I don't want anybody to lose out. Enter the 2019 Juwel Riesling Fruhmesse Trocken for $39.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. Our first 2019 offer. 

This is when you know you are in the presence of talent. One sniff and sip of this gorgeous, energetic and chiseled Riesling and you will not be able to taste or think about anything else. This site really lets Julianne show her talent at making elite dry Riesling from a top terroir.

The nose is a complex monster of minerality and small just barely ripe exotic tropical fruits but bordering on tensile. Confectionary and rocky minerality. Citrus pith. Apricot. There is
honey, tangelo and apricot. Floral and spicy with so much forceful minerality.  It is so unique and so enticing. What a glorious nose. Smoke, confection, flint, rock candy. Something you can smell for minutes on end and discover new nuances. Impossibly complex like a potpourri painted by Seurat. Honeyed. Citrus. Herbal. Savory. Gorgeous. So complete and enveloping. Just an amazing nose. Nuanced and detailed. Top. Top.

Palate is so suave. Wow. This has incredible texture and finishes with beautiful, elevated but in balance acidity that takes this to the next level. Wow. Electrifying. Really beautiful purity and so chiseled. Clean like spring water. Dense structure braces you on the finish. Really pure. Really clean. Sappy, salty, just incredible. Taught and precise. Most Keller-like showing of her wines yet. Briliant. Tangy pure citrus fruits pop on the finish but this is stunningly mineral driven wine. Expertly made.

Tremendous grip and almost feather-like finesse and purity of the vintage with its dramatic yet delicate fruit intensity which matches so well with the precise, weightless and finesse-driven style of Julianne's wines. Insane flavor hierarchy and delineation and huge crescendo of a mineral finish. So dense and so structured. Just awesome. The minerality here is absolutely piercing. 

Then there is the texture. Texture is something we don't talk about enough in Riesling. I think Riesling has the best texture of any white wine in the world. Julianne's Frühmesse has that opulence that is an echo of Klaus-Peter Keller but also an inviting fine grained minerality that infuses the texture to make it standout. And with age the texture only gets better. 

It finishes with beautiful, elevated but in balance acidity that takes this to the next level. Wow. Electrifying. Really beautiful purity and so chiseled. Clean like spring water. Dense structure braces you on the finish. Really pure. Really clean. Sappy, salty, just incredible. Taught and precise.

One of the great values of the 2019 vintage I will offer. GG quality for under $40? This is becoming a Fass cult favorite.


I have had four vintages now of this utterly brilliant wine and the 2019 is the best effort yet. Julianne has taken the leap! She is true elite level. This is a deeply structured wine that really takes time to unravel and I'm very bullish on the aging curve of the Riesling Frühmesse. I think this is a 15-20 year wine. Each vintage I've had (15,16,17,19) is nowhere near ready and they typically do not show at their peak when they are just landed. I find the Frühmesse needs 3-4 months (ideally longer) to start to show what it's made of after we deliver. And what amazing material it is made of. There is a brilliant pithiness to all the fruit in the Frühmesse.

2019 Juwel Fruhmesse Riesling Trocken - $41.99 ($159.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $4.42) (LIMITED)

The Year Our Brunello Star Got Famous: 94+ Points Vinous Only $42.99 Incredible 2015 Vintage Plus One of My Favorite Roses in the World And That Got 91 Pts!

Compare Other 2015 94-94+ Brunello
 - 2015 Baricci Brunello di Montalcino - 94 PTS ($80-$99)
 - 2015 Le Ragnaie Brunello di Montalcino - 94 PTS ($63-$99)
 - 2015 La Gerla Brunello du Montalcino - 94 PTS ($55-$72)

2015 San Lorenzo Brunello di Montalcino Bramante
 - Nuclear Level of Aromatics on the Nose
 - Palate: Delicious Incredible Intense Deep Cherry Fruit
 - Crazy Levels of Spice and a Hint of Licorice
 - Almost Savory
 - Delicious Wine but Also a Wine Drinker's Wine
 - Phenomenal Juiciness
 - 94+ Points VINOUS for $41.99 each (on 4)
 - Special Case Price Of $39.99 A Bottle
 - Should Cost Double This Price
 - A Vintage to Stock the Cellar

2019 San Lorenzo Rosato
 - 91 Points, Eric Guido Vinous 
 - Absolutely One of My Favorite Roses
 - Glorious Sangiovese Fruit
 - Wonderfully Vinous
 - Combines Classic Sangiovese Fruit and Spice...
 - ...with the Light Refreshing Profile of Rose
 - A Wine You Can Enjoy But Also Contemplate
 - Blows Away Almost Every Boring Rose from Provence
 - We Only Sell 3-4 Still Roses a Year So Stock Up if You Want Some

2018 San Lorenzo Rosso di Montalcino
 - 92 PTS, Eric Guido, Vinous for $24.99
 - The Elegant Style of Rosso
 - Gorgeous Cherry Flower, Spice Aromatics
 - Medium Bodied Fruit - Stunning Delineation
 - Gorgeous Spice and a Hint of Licorice
 - So Perfectly Integrated
 - Spectacular Juiciness
 - Inexpensive Enough to Drink on a Tuesday...
 - ...but Has Very Good Complexity
 - You Can Drink This Any Time Without Regret

This is another one of those agrodolce (sweet and sour) E-Mails. Sweet because Luciano, who is the salt of the earth, is finally getting recognized as one of the top winemakers in Montalcino. Sad because with recognition usually comes price increases and allocations.  This may be the last year we can offer these wines at these prices. 

The Style
The style here is one of gorgeous fruit expression.  I'm not just talking about the cherry fruit aspects of the fruit.  I'm talking about the full expression of the totality of Sangiovese.  Lorenzo's style is incredibly clean and precise - he's one of the best winemakers in Montalcino. This is not big, blowsy modern Brunello. The wines here are stylistically the same as our top wineries in Burgundy, the Rhone, Germany and the rest of Italy. They're just made from Sangiovese.

The Wines
I am thrilled to offer the 2015 San Lorenzo Brunello di Montalcino Bramante for $41.99 each on a 4 pack and $39.99 each on a case purchase.  This is an absolutely knockout genius bottle of Brunello that should cost double what I am charging. Every now and then I go out into the world and am blown away how expensive wine is. And don't get me started how cheap it is in Europe.

The nose is just heavenly and classic Brunello. The aromatics are so complex and vibrant that the wine is almost alive. You can feel it tickling your inner nose. A crazy melange of spices: clove, cinnamon, piquant spiciness. Like your nose is over a mortar and pestle that is continuously generating fresh spice. Just an unreal level of vivid spice. Nebbiolo-like in it's breadth but classic

Sangiovese in its character. Super complex and just what you want in Brunello. Big cherry fruit as well but the intermingling between spice and fruit is what you want in classically styled Brunello. 

The palate is total Fass Selections. A lot of Brunellos are about being clobbered over the head with fruit (and sometimes alcohol and wood). Yeah, I'm not selling those. Ever. The palate has fruit, of course. 2015 leans towards restraint as well so the style here is just to die for. Just delicious incredible intense deep cherry fruit mixed with spice and a hint of licorice that grows more prominent with extensive air.  It has that intensity and concentration that you want in Brunello.  But man it has that Fass Selections balancing acidity. Just great balance. The freshness is unreal.

The finish lingers. It's a marvel as it such a beautifully made wine you feel a tiny bit guilty how inexpensive it is. That's classic Fass Selections guilt. Don't worry about it. It's part of the experience. It's a delicious wine but also a wine drinker's wine and you can marvel at how well made it is.

This is in our wheelhouse for small production wineries.  The Brunello is made traditionally with approximately 4 years in large wooden barrels and an additional 4 months in the bottle before release.  Below is the 94+ point review by Ian d'Agata of Vinous. 94+ Points. $39.99. Neck-breaking QPR.

"Full, bright red. Very ripe pure red fruits, hazelnut, vanilla cream and blood orange on the nose. Rich, sappy and deep, with the underlying mineral element giving the wine superb vibrancy and an impression of airiness. Stone fruit flavors are complemented by an enticing note of marzipan on the fresh, precise very pure and long, steely finish. This is one of the few 2015 Brunellos that I think might actually turn out to be better than the 2016 from the same estate." 94 Points, Ian d'Agata, Vinous 

The second wine is a rarity at Fass Selections.  I mostly avoid rose because I find that the process of making rose makes them all have a similar taste profile. I always politely taste them but rarely offer them unless they are truly interesting. And the 2019 San Lorenzo Rosato IGT Toscana for $24.99 each on a 3 pack purchase is absolutely one of my favorite roses. They only make 600 bottles and this will be allocated! First, it's made from 100% Sangiovese and has just glorious Sangiovese fruit.  I mean it's just fantastic.  Dark berries with a hint of spice, but, of course, it's rose so it's light, refreshing and beautifully acidic.  Some serious minerality as well. Deep and sappy, yet rose, yet also Fassy. It also got 91 Pts which is pretty good for a rose.

"Pink-red. Enticing aromas and flavors of strawberry, sour red cherry, candied violet and peach. Juicy and dense with lovely saline lift nicely extending the floral flavors on the long suave finish. Knockout Rosato that doesn't taste of industrial yeasts like far too many modern Rosatos, and delivers a real wallop of flavor; in fact, this tastes more like a light red wine than it does a Rosato." 
91 Points, Ian d'Agata, Vinous

The last wine is the 2018 San Lorenzo Rosso di Montalcino for $24.99 a bottle each on a 4 pack. For some crazy reason I've never offered this. Maybe because the Brunello is so inexpensive I wanted people to buy that.  But I sort of have to offer it this year because it got 92 points. Not that I mind, because the wine is amazing.

There are 2 styles of Rosso di Montalcino. One is basically a baby Brunello but not as good. These Rossos are rather larger framed and burlier and ... well baby Brunellos but still Brunello-like. The second style is more focused on making a lighter-framed wine so that you can really focus on the aromatics and secondary characteristics of the Sangiovese.  Plus, you don't want Brunello every night even if you can afford it. Drinking Brunello is often a serious endeavor as it's a powerful wine.

As noted above, this is a category 2 Rosso. I really just love this wine and I'm glad we're finally selling it.  The nose is that lovely cherry flower fruit and a hint of licorice. Swirling Sangiovese spice just fills every nook and cranny of your nose.  The aromatics here are the work of a master and you get more of the secondary characteristics because the fruit is less powerful.

The palate is just gorgeous. The fruit is so great and so clean and so precise. Just incredible. Medium cherries with spice and some licorice. So perfectly elegant.  So integrated. It has that Champagne-like laser-like precision. Wow. Stunning levels of juiciness, of course.

The Brunello is a knockout wine. But I would advise at least trying a 4 pack of these. You won't regret it. This is a wine you can open without regret and enjoy. 

"Ruby-red. Flint, black cherry and underbrush with a strong violet topnote. Juicy, vibrant and steely, with flavors similar to the aromas. Finishes very long with repeating flinty and floral nuances. This really exudes an enchanting violet perfume that lingers in the memory and on the taste buds long after you've swallowed. Aged one year in three to ten years old barriques and tonneaux." 92 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous

The Winery

The winemaker at Sanlorenzo is Luciano Ciolfi.  Luciano is a fairly typical Fass Selections producer.  Young, very intelligent, serious and possessing of a modesty that is great for making wine but not for promoting it.  He learned how to make wine the hard way.  He worked at the estate when he was young and then for 8 years at a neighboring estate. Luciano is the grandson of the founder, after whom this wine is named.  He's a really, really great guy.

2015 San Lorenzo Brunello di Montalcino Bramante - $43.99 ($167.96 4-pack, $479.88 12 bottle case {$39.99}) 

2018 San Lorenzo Rosato IGT Toscana - $26.99 - ($99.96 4-pack) 

2019 San Lorenzo Rosso di Montalcino - $26.99 ($99.96 4-pack) 

One of the Italian Discoveries of the Decade - Makes $350 a Mag Barbera and Today's Offer ($34.99) - One of the Top Winemakers in the Langhe

On the Top Langhe Wine Group, This Producer Is the Talk of the Town
 - Changed Voerzio to Start Making Classic Wines  
 - His Barolo Top Crus Go for $400+
 - Started His Own Micro Estate on the Side
 - Top, Top, Top Tier in the Langhe 
 - This Will Be the Reference Point Barbera Once the Word Gets Out

Barbera ... But Not
 - 20 Years Ago Loire Cabernet Franc All Cost Under $30...
   ...Except Clos Rougeard Because It Was Another Animal
 - Clos Rougeard Was $50-$90 Back Then and Now It's $180+
 - Don't Think of Today's Wine As a Great Barbera
 - It's a Great Wine that Happens to Be Made from Barbera
 - It's Only $35 Because the Grape Is Barbera 
 - It Won't Be $35 for Long
 - Its Sister Wine (Same Winemaker) Is $350 a Magnum
 - This Is the Even More Classically Styled Version
- For Me, More Interesting and Complex than Vigna Francia from Giacomo Conterno {$60-$90) 

2017 Cesare Bussolo Barbera d'Alba "Vigna Santa Lucia"
 - An Absolutely Profound Wine
 - Very Low Yields
 - Micro Production
 - Insane Nose 
 - Red Berry Fruit
 - Sense of Depth and Richness
 - Some Spice and Saline Notes 
 - Super Complex Gamey, Earthy and Mineral Notes 
 - Like Old School Cornas 
 - Mineral Style like Cuchet/Fauterie
 - Stunning and Deep Palate
 - Great Cut and Juiciness
 - Tiny Precise Black Plums
 - Elite St. Joseph-like Fresh Minerals & Energy
 - Deep Berry Fruit
 - 1/5 the Price of Its Sister Wine Made by the Same Winemaker

 - You Are Getting a Profound Micro Production Wine Made By A Guy Who Produces $250-$400 Barolo and $350 ONLY in Magnum Barbera for $35

The Super Elite Pico Production Barolo Will Be Allocated and Barbera Buyers Will Get First Crack per Bottle Purchased

The Cesare Bussola Story

I have no idea how on earth I got this producer. 

He's one of the top 2-3 young producers in the Langhe and is the winemaker at a Top 10/20 estate. 

So here's the story. I was checking some of my favorite wine groups on the Internet and I saw Cesare Bussolo's name repeatedly pop up. I was immediately curious.

The more I read about him and his winemaking prowess the more I was impressed.
 - He worked at Brovia for 7 years, which is a very good, very solid traditional estate. A great place to learn one's craft.
 - Then he went to the great Roberto Voerzio estate in 2007.

Voerzio: from Hyper Modern to NeoClassical
Back then at Voerzio, before Cesare got there as the winemaker, it was not really the style of anyone on this list. These were, big, muscular, lavishly oaked Barolos.

Cesare came in and there was a huge style change. Away from the oaky style and more into a terroir-
driven, mineral style with great freshness. The new style was based on a more traditional elevage in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks, rather than the 100% new barriques which Roberto Voerzio had utilized in the previous decade. These wines go for $250-$300 dollars a bottle for the Barolo and the Barbera, only made in magnums, goes for $350+. They are amongst the best wines in Barolo now with Cesare Bussolo at the helm.  The top Crus go for $250-$400.

The Estate
Cesare has just started his own label one of the the two wines is a Barbera from a plot of land he bought in 2010. This is very very small production stuff we are talking. But to get a Barbera from the same winemaker who makes the $350 Barbera d'Alba Riserva Pozzo dell'Annunziata bottled only in magnums for $34.99? And I knew! I just knew this Barbera would be stunning. 

Knowing what he did at Voerzio and knowing what wines he made (only a Barbera and a Barolo)  I wrote him an email telling him that we are the perfect people to sell his wine and that I know his wines are going to be amazing and can you please send me a bottle of each. It was a really good email and he did just that. They got here. They rested. Cesare then followed me on Instagram and started seeing what I was all about during the period the wines were resting. And then the day came.

The Wine
I was so excited to open the 2017 Cesare Bussolo Barbera d'Alba "Vigna Santa Lucia" for $34.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. As a child, Cesare played with his sister among the vines in the vineyard he now owns; this beautiful west-facing site called Santa Lucia. He planted these vineyards in 2010 with high density low yielding Barbera. And from this vineyard comes one of the finest Barbera's I've ever tasted. A magnificent wine and truly one the most genius wines we have ever sold.

The 3 Styles of Barbera
Because most Barbera falls in one of three categories. 100% stainless steel. Good, gluggable with a bowl of Pasta Ragu, but forgettable. Then you have wines that are the opposite, lavishly oaked, vulgar fruit and aromas, and just a hot mess. Not hot as is in alcoholic although some of these can be, but just like overoaked Barbera is just very vulgar to me in a way that overoaked Cabernet or Syrah isn't. The third style is "Very Serious Barbera." There are maybe less than a dozen. Soil driven, mineral driven wines that speka of place and not the vessel they were aged in. Today's wine is the leader of that category for quality and also price to quality.

Barbera, as Cesare thinks and executes perfectly needs to speak of a place. This wine does that in spades. It is by far the most mineral-driven, energetic Barbera I have ever had. The seriousness of this wine cannot be overstated. Cesare uses very low yields as he does as well at Voerzio. This is an extraordinary wine in so many ways. It evolves over three days open. It needs at least 1 hour or more to aerate. It's a slow burn in the best way possible. It can age I think for 10-15 years. I've never had a Barbera this mineral but is also some of the most clearly defined fruit of any Barbera I've ever had. This is god level Barbera and remember the only other one he makes is $350 a magnum. This is $34.99.

Sick nose. Red berry fruit. Loads of it. Sense of deepness and richness. Some spice and saline notes as well. After air (2 hours) the nose really gets going. Super complex gamey, earthy and mineral notes. Man it's like if old school Cornas (mineral style like Cuchet/Fauterie) mated with very serious Barbera. As this airs, more fruit comes out but it never sheds its mineral core. The definition of
mineral-driven.

Palate is juicy, complex and has terrific freshness and so much minerality. Wow what's this? A mineral-driven Barbera? Yes it is. The rarest kind of Barbera. Great cut and juiciness with some vivid and super pure berry fruit. Thus has elite St. Joseph-like fresh minerals that are just delightful. Terrific depth and structure. This has an urgent restrained sweetness as well that just so ever closely mingles with the unreal minerality to make this a delicacy. Even seems a bit young, as does most very serious Barbera which this is.  Great power and depth.  On Day 2 this wine just keeps delivering. Gorgeous minerality.  Deep berry fruit but so so precise. Some black plum but tiny precise black plums. Some gorgeous jelly notes. Gorgeous spice. Palate is so generous now but still has laser like acidity and incredible graphite/granite minerality. So juicy, balanced and clean. Great structure and precision. This is just the best Barbera I can remember having. This is a Revelation.

Long persistent finish of black and red berry fruit and beautiful minerals and substantial tannins. Really really long.

This will age for at least 10-15 years.


Cesare also makes a very small amount of Barolo from the world class Fossati vineyard (Voerzio's goes for $400+ - my offer will be much less). The more Barbera you all buy the more 2016 Barolo Fossati I get allocated as well and the more Barolo you get. Something to think about as well. He makes half the amount he does of the Barbera.

2017 Cesare Bussola Barbera d'Alba "Vigna Santa Lucia" - $36.99 ($139.96 4-pack) (VERY LIMITED)

You Know You Want Some Cote Rotie and Condrieu in the Cellar - Incredible New Producer, Direct from the Estate, Under $50 and Under $54

From The Desolate, Barren, Rocky, Steep Slopes in the Far North of the Rhone
 - A Story of Struggle
 - As Old School As Cote Rotie Can Get
 - Terrific Sun Exposure
 - Wines That Taste of the Struggle of Their Birth
 - Never Exported to the US
 - Almost No Exposure Internationally So These Wines Are Incredibly Affordable
 - Direct from the Estate - Would Be MUCH More 3 Tier

2016 Andre Francois Côte Rotie "Peintre"
 - $49.99 for Beautifully Traditional Cote Rotie
 - Nose: Super Floral (Violets), 
 - Spice Bazaar, So Mineral, Very Schisty
 - Palate: Super Sappy, Floral/Mineral/Blackberry-Spice 
 - Remarkably Delicious
 - Tremendous Grip 
 - Incredible Top Notch Purity and Deep, Serious Structure
 - Ready to Drink - Will Age for 15-20 Years
 - Current Vintage - Just Bottled - 24 months in Barrel - One Year In Bottle

2018 Andre Francois Condrieu La Maladière
 - What Condrieu Should Be (And So Rarely Is)
 - The Gorgeous, Classic Florality of Condrieu
 - Melon Fruit, Ripe Apricot, Citrus and Pear
 - Serious Depth and Substance to the Nose
 - Palate: Beautifully Ripe and Juicy; Awesome Complexity
 - Tangerine/Citrus Flavor As It Aerates
 - Balance is Wonderful and it's So Nervy
 - Only 700 Bottles Made
 - Only $53.99 for a Classic Example of Condrieu

This is the last month before wines get picked up for fall delivery and I am thinking of the wines I

really want people to have and enjoy. 

With tariffs, Cote Rotie and Condrieu have gotten expensive. The bottom of the 3 tier market is $50ish and there's not much decent under $60-$75.

And let's face it - a great Cote Rotie is awesome.  It's one of my favorite AOCs in France.  Even I had difficulty sourcing wines this good at these prices. SO if you like Northern Rhone wines, this is one to buy a bunch of. It's a terrific but inexpensive producer.

A Story of Beauty and of Struggle
It's a haul to get to Côte Rotie from Hermitage. They vineyards are so dramatic, barren, rocky and steep. The skies  are so blue. You're just in awe that vines grow and flourish here. One would think that it is an idyllic existence.

Alas, the the father at the Andre Francois estate had a car accident and is still hobbled by it.I politely asked him how he was when I arrived, and he sardonically said, look at me, that's how I am. And he laughed. He came all the way down the wet windy cellar stairway in his crutches and tasted in the cellar with us.

His daughter, Nancy, has taken over the winery and has done a masterful job, under her father's watchful eye.

This is what the wines are. The story of struggle, yet with beauty emerging. These are the farthest thing from modern, pumped up Cote Rotie that one could find.

I love these wines and they are extraordinarily inexpensive for how incredible they are. The story of the visit is as good as the wines.

The Wines
I'm super excited to offer the 2016 Andre Francois Côte Rotie "Peintre" which can be had for $49.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. Despite the tariffs and weakening dollar I managed to keep this under $50 as I cut my margin. The price is absurd for a wine this stunning. The wine is as old school as it gets and I have been dying to sell this as it was in barrel when I tasted it in February 2019. It was so memorable as it even outshined the 2015.

Stunning nose. Decidedly rich on the nose. Almost a liquor-like intensity. Gorgeous old wood shavings, library books. Almost cassis. Some blackberry. But it's balanced and fresh just rich.   Evocative and very open. Super floral, violets peek out from under the fruit.  So mineral, very

schisty, very granitic.  Some olives and blackberry jam with a kiss of licorice.  So deep and with so much breadth and depth. There is a spice bazaar that develops after a while.  This is a style of Côte Rotie that is mineral and elegant and combine that with the refined character of the 2016 vintage and we have a home run here. Granitic and schisty. This is a wine that is built to age and I love how mineral focused it is. It's super sappy and the granitic thrust on the finish is just incredible. There is a little new wood but it is impossible to tell as the floral/mineral/blackberry-spice component is so pungent and deep.

The palate just has that mineral, deep, black fruited thrust, with incredible top notch purity and deep, serious structure. So complex, layered and complete. Bright and juicy with great freshness and painful tiny berry fruit intensity. Bright red and black fruit with wonderful finesse and freshness. The elegance and finesse on this wine is so absurd. A thing of beauty. This is a beautiful wine that i s absurd to be this price.

The finish is incredible. It's so stoney and sappy and the blackberry fruit just echoes. The length of this wine is incredible.

Drinks like $75+. It can and will age for 15-20 years.  Decant recommended but boy is this a fun one to drink young.

These are classical, traditional wines aged an extra long time in barrel with whole cluster fermentations and are as genuine as Côte Rotie gets. These wines spend 24 months in barrel and then a year in bottle before being sold. The 2016 is the current vintage and  I cannot believe it.

Up next I've got the very rare, beautiful Condrieu the 2018 Andre Francois Condrieu La Maladière for $51.99 a bottle on a 3-pack. It's a beautiful bottle of Condrieu and so so intense.  They only make 700 or so bottles so this is super limited.

Amazing nose. Floral but also intensely mineral. Yellow fruits, some apricot. So, so aromatic but in an elegant way - it's not at all vulgar like much Condrieu can be. Lots of melon fruit along with citrus and pear. Super lemony and very clean. Not oaky at all with such nice clarity and energy to it. There is serious depth and substance to the nose. I love Condrieu when done right and if you do as well you'll adore this nose and this wine.


Dynamic palate that is beautifully ripe and juicy with just awesome complexity. Huge pear and peach that is all kinds of juicy. Super intense honeysuckle mineral finish with terrific sap and freshness. It's rich but also there is huge substance and texture from the tannins and terrific acidity. The tangerine/citrus flavor develops as it aerated and becomes so present on the finish. The balance is wonderful and it's so nervy. Not rich, cloying or vulgar like Condrieu can be. A beauty. So so stylish.

2016 Andre Francois Cote Rotie "Peintre" - $51.99 ($199.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $5.66) 

2018 Andre Francois Condrieu "Maladiere" - $53.99 ($207.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $5.80) 

The Langhe's Yasujiro Ozu: Rattalino's Top Barbaresco Cuvee Plus His Incredible Value Langhe Nebbiolo

2015 Rattalino Barbaresco Quarantacinque Ronchi (45) Riserva 
 - Incredible Barbaresco Vintage 
 - Terrific Terroir
 - Density and Power, Combined with Elegance 
 - Gorgeous Dense Nose of Cherry Liquor, Cherry Flowers 
 - Incredible Dense Cherry Fruit, Spice
 - Amazing Structure to Age
 - Their Top End Barbaresco (Aged 4 Years in Barrel)
 - Still an Incredible Value for the Price

2017 Rattalino Nebbiolo d'Alba Ventisette (27)
 - An Overachieving "Village Wine" for a Steal
 - Delicious Fruit with Spice and Great Balance
 - Priced for Everyday but Has Complexity for Nebbiolo Geeks

Yasujiro Ozu
Two of the most celebrated Japanese filmmakers are by far Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu but you ask most film buffs who the best is and they will always say Kurosawa. The criticism of Ozu amongst film buffs is that his style is too Japanese. The camera is placed at a low height and rarely if ever moves. This is called the "tatami" shot and makes the viewer focus on everything in the frame. The films have no heroes or villains and most have very similar plots. But the plots are not what makes Ozu such a genius. It's the variations on a theme. No one does variations on a theme better than Ozu. Usually it's about fathers trying to marry off their daughters but the daughter doesn't want to because she wants to take care of her parents. Or a variation of that. The films are very focused on the family unit and there is a lot of dialogue. But what I love about an Ozu film is that it's always like entering an old friend's house. There is a warmth and an expectation that cannot be denied. Plus the criticism that he was too "Japanese" is hogwash. His techniques such as the "the tatami shot" or his corresponding shots of characters looking at each other and screen compositions turned out to be transgressive and not "Japanese aesthetic" at all. It took 30 years, as a book was written in 1983 that offers up the idea, with evidence, that the stereotype that Ozu "was too Japanese" is wrong and not only wrong he invented some of the most transgressive techniques in all of cinema.

Rattalino - Important
As many of you know, I was turned on to this winery by one of the top US-based writers about Italian wine, Tom Hyland, who is a fan. And he should be. Rattalino has assembled a remarkable collection of top sites and is almost maniacal in his attention to detail. He is trying to become one of the top producers in the Langhe and I believe that he has.

The winemaking approach is to produce a range of wines in Barbaresco and Barolo that take the terroir and create wines that reflect it - but in a perfect way. The lower number wines are typically more finesse-based. The higher number wines are typically very dense but that elegant style remains.

He's a little Ozu-esque in that while he is certainly a traditional Langhe producer, he does things a bit
differently.  Many top producers have a relatively small number of top cuvees.  Rattalino is basically collecting a portfolio of top vineyards.  And he runs Rattalnio like a modern company with an almost modern management attention to detail. 

This is another one of those wineries where in a couple of years, they will be discovered and prices will shoot up and we'll all be like "ack, I should have bought more." Prices are already increasing.

The Wines
The first wine today is a wine that if you love Barbaresco it is something you need to try.We are offering the 2015 Rattalino Barbaresco Quarantacinque (45) Ronchi Riserva for $52.99 each on a 4 pack. This wine is simply incredible.

The nose is gorgeous with stunning pretty licorice and super dense cherry and intense cherry flowers. Some pepper and a hint of tobacco. It really has that lovely tarry, rose-like thing and is super expansive. Incredible complexity on the nose. Really a nose that you sit and marvel at before you even drink the wine. What's amazing about the nose is that it has all of that density but everything is balanced. It's certainly Barbaresco, but Barbaresco with more delineation and power than most offerings.

The palate is the apogee of Langhe fruit. Fresh, full, peak of season red cherries with some lovely cherry liquor and spice. Incredible power and concentration but so perfectly balanced with acidity. A crazy swirl of that dense cherry fruit with cherry liquor, hints of allspice and cardamon. The balance on this wine given the density is remarkable. Really, really juicy. The tannins are firm but soft. This wine can be drunk young but is built to age as are all of the Rattalino Barbarescos and Barolos. Insane internal aromatics. You get the dense fruit on the palate with the cherry flowers singing above it. Wow. Spectacular.

The finish has lingering cherry fruit intertwined with cherry liquor and a hint of tobacco. This is a wine of staggering power and complexity. You can certainly drink it with meat but it's sort of like listening to a beautiful opera while playing a video game. Please at least have a glass by itself so that you can truly appreciate it.

The "45" should cost $80-$90 through standard 3 tier. I've had many a bottle of Produttori di Barbaresco, which I like very much. This bottle beats Produttori di Barbaresco mid tier offerings (in this price range).

The 45 is aged for 36 months in 2,000 litre Slavonian oak casks followed by 12 months in tonneau and 6 months in bottle. You can pop and pour this wine if you like but it obviously gains in complexity as it ages.

The second wine is the 2017 Rattalino Nebbiolo d'Alba Ventisette (27) for $25.99 each on a 4 pack. I really love this wine, especially at this price. If the previous wine is the Grand Cru, this is the overachieving village wine.

The nose has lovely cherry aromatics with a bit of spice. It's all vibrant, silky and fresh cherry fruit on the palate with super silky tannins. The finish was a bit tight so while you can pop and pour it, it is better with either an hour decant or 6-12 more months of age. 


The value cannot be beat. It is aged for 10 months in large casks and 5 in stainless steel. Think a really well made village wine (if it were made from nebbiolo). Just a great, great delicious everyday wine with some nice complexity. Definitely a consideration for a case purchase if you like Nebbiolo.

Rattalino Barbaresco Quarantacinque Ronchi (45) Riserva - $54.99 ($211.96 4-pack) (VERY LIMITED)

2017 Rattalino Nebbiolo d'Alba Ventisette (27) - $27.99 ($103.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)

Can't Find Affordable Spectacular White Burgundy for $50-$70? - Puligny and 1er Cru Meursault - Won't Last for Long - Boussey Rising

You Know Things Are Broken When Meh Negociant Puligny is $70-$90

Boussey Has Broken Through
 - The 2015 and 2016s Were Stunning
 - They Lacked that Last Extra Bit of Elegance/Finesse
 - 2017/2018 Has It
 - Crazy Low Prices for the Quality - Direct from the Winery

These Wines Will Get Expensive Just Like All the Other Burgundies I First Sold for Nothing
 - (Galeyrand, Garaduet, Chavy-Chouet, Thomas Bouley, Duroche, etc.)
 - I Told Everyone They Would Get Expensive
 - They Are Now ALL Expensive
 - Boussey is Next

2018 White Burgundies
 - An Outrageous Vintage
 - Incredible Density
 - Terrific Minerality and Acidic Balance
 - Reminds Me of 2010
 - Terrific Value Village Wines
 - 1er Cru's Lights Out

2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes"
 - Superb, Noble  
 - Grand Cru-like Aromas 
 - Layered Ephemeral Complexity 
 - Lime Pith and Zest, Lemon Zest,
 - Minerals, Hazelnuts
 - Palate: super elegant, super fine and super complex and very juicy
 - Effortlessly Balances Pure Power with Terrific Acidity
 - Explosive Finish
 - Amazingly Delicate Yet Also Powerful and Dense
 - From 45 Year Old Vines

2018 Laurent Boussey Puligny-Montrachet
 - Village Puligny for Under $58 that Drinks like a 1er Cru
 - Sick Nose
 - Mineral, iodine, hazelnuts
 - So, So Floral: White Flowers, Daisies, Pollen
 - Almost an Umami Element
 - Spice, Citrus Rind
 - Palate: Chewy and Dense
 - An Amazing Amount of Raw Material
 - Spectacular Intensity and Profound Complexity
 - Pushing Up at Elite Levels
 - Explosive, Juicy
 - Long Finish
 - Very Limited

Why This Is an Important Offer

Louis Jadot 2017 Puligny Montrachet is $70-$90

Girardin 2017 Puligny Montrachet is $60-$95

I'm sure that these wine factories do as good a job as they can but COME ON!

You are spending that much money for a village Puligny from a giant negociant?

And the village Pulignys from high quality smaller estates like Boussey are even more than that.

I'm sorry to be blunt but that is absolutely crazy.  

And you know what?  Sometimes you just want a village Puligny without having to feel that you dropped $90 and it's some special event.  

I will tell you that it is very, very hard to find affordable white Burgundies. Especially Puligny. Even for me. And when I find them, prices increase within a couple of years. 

So that's why this offer is important.  For $57.99, you can grab a Village Puligny from a great vintage from a very, very good producer in one of the best vintages of the past decade.

And let me be clear - we only have 2 producers making Big 3 White Burgundies in this price range.  

We are not going to have an offer like this every month.  So if you want to drink a wine like this every 2 weeks or so, you should stock up - buy 6 bottles of this for the year (and 6 each of another 3).  I might buy more because 2018 is such a great vintage.

Sermon over.

The 2018 Vintage for White Burgundies

Because I have tasted a critical mass of 2018 white burgundies I can confidently say it is a better vintage than 17 and it's my favorite vintage since 2010 or 2014. Every 2018 Côte de Beaune white I've tasted has been absolutely outrageous and the higher up the ladder one goes the quality gets exponentially better. It is a stunning vintage. So what's it like? If there is one word to describe then it is intense. Like you have a 2018 next to a 2016 or 2017 of the same cuvee and the 2017/2016 is like a dog just out of the bath when they look really skinny because their hair is not floofed. The 2018 is like the dog just after he's back from the groomer and is in top top shape. They both are the same dog but obviously we prefer the floofed out dog. 2018 is the floofed out dog of white Burgundy vintages. There is a density to them that is unreal. Reminds me of 2010. They are so fresh. Just awash in acids and minerality but it's also buffered by the density of the wines so it creates this unreal harmony. The harmony of the 2018s is remarkable. The other thing is that the higher up ones goes the quality is exponentially better. The 1er Crus I've tasted have been just the best versions of all the ones I've ever sold. The village wines offer incredible bang for the buck as the level of intensity and depth is unbelievable. There are just so many terrific wines in 2018 it is hard to choose what to sell.

 

The 2018 Whites at Boussey

I was so excited to taste Laurent Boussey's 2018 whites.  He was so close to elite status in 2016 and the 2017s were great.  But one swallow does not a summer make. I wanted to confirm that 2017 was not just a one time elite thing.  And when I tasted the 2018s, at the first sip, I clenched my fist and silently shouted "Boom!"

After tasting the staggering set of Laurent Boussey's 2018 white wines I can firmly say we have a superstar on our hands (a more detailed vintage note is at the bottom).  Boussey's 18s in particular are just profound and so deep. I was blown away and I think these are among the best white Burgs in the book. They are preposterous values at these prices and should cost $100+.  The prices are just silly for the depth, power, clarity and structure oft hese wines.

The Wines

Please believe me. We are VERY LUCKY to have another Meursault 1er Cru Charmes that is as good as the Chavy-Chouet (albeit very different and a bit cheaper), that is the 2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes" for $69.99 a bottle on a 3-Pack. That is an insane price for this wine. This is super, super refined stuff with incredible breeding, sicko density, amazing acidity and freshness. 

The Nose:  Superb, noble with Grand Cru like aromas. Complex and super mineral nose. Some cotton candy there and so much layered ephemeral complexity. Lime pith and zest, lemon zest, butter, minerals, hazelnuts and many rock scented aromas. 

On the palate, this is super elegant, super fine and super complex and very juicy. Hits every taste bud seemingly at the same time. Incredible palate impact. Charmes usually has some fat/gras to it and the 18 effortlessly balances that pure power with terrific intense and echoing high acidity that makes it just explode on the finish. Very intense wine. Wonderful freshness and so so pure. Amazingly delicate yet also powerful dense, ripe, full-bodied and concentrated. Grippy and structured. Fresh and intense. Long and stunningly pure. Salty, mineral finish. Incredibly poised. Such a charming wine. Like it's name suggests. Real class in a glass. Sappy and intense as white burgundy can get. Really terrific potential here. Unbelievable deal as one needs to spend a lot more to get a Charmes of this quality.  Laurent is producing brilliant wines that can easily compete some of the top estates in the Côte de Beaune. I've sent clients there that can testify that this guy has talent and is very very underrated. For now. This is from 45 year old vines. 

Up next is a wine that just blew me away and is so fine, so classic and so utterly delicious that I am proud and honored to sell it.  The 2018 Laurent Boussey Puligny-Montrachet can be had for $57.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is a stunning Puligny and is exactly what I've been looking for ever since we lost Garaudet. A village Puligny for under $55 that drinks like a 1er Cru. It's been missing but now it is back.  I love the floral aspect to Puligny so so much, also the finesse and exceptional saline minerality. They are wonderful when they are on. This one exudes greatness and the reason is location, location, location. This lies under the great 1er Cru made famous by Domaine Leflaive "Clavouillon."

Sick nose. Mineral, iodine, hazelnuts and so ,so floral. White flowers, daisies, pollen, and some hickory after a while. Just a stunning perfume of Puligny after 45 minutes. It's very complex. Wet earth, almost an umami element, spice, citrus rind and just superbly complex with huge perfume and floral accents that can be dizzying. Classic Puligny. So on target. 

But the palate is the main story for me. It's so chewy and dense with just an amazing amount of raw material. Wine takes over your mouth with spectacular intensity and profound complexity. It's full bodied and so rich with stellar purity. So juicy and just explodes on the palate. It's so fine, refined, elegant, dense and mineral. With air it gets mindbending. Really Wows you. Such finesse and depth. Really remarkable. What a palate. So on target. Salty, tangy, delicate and so finesse driven. Beautiful purity and balance. Terrific structure. Very, very good. Almost elite but not quite. Just insanely delicious. And performed above my expectations. So much Terrific juiciness and structure. 

Tangy, citrus in the finish along with salt. So so long and persistent. This is stunning now but will age for up to 10-13 years. This is limited as the French know and he's only got a few cases left.

2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes" - $71.99 ($279.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $8.50)

2018 Laurent Boussey Puligny Montrachet - $59.99 ($173.97 4-pack)  (*Including Tariff of $6.64)

Another Fass Unknown Producer Discovered by Vinous - 93 Point 2008 Taurasi and a Maybe the Best $30 Champagne Method We've Sold (Greco di Tufo) - Mind Blowingly Different

We Think We Live in a Small World and That Everything Worth Knowing Is Known
 - But Just Occasionally, We Are Stunned By Something New And Wonderful 
 - An Act of Love by a Grandfather for his Grandchildren
 - Rare As Any Wines We Have Sold 
 - These Are Absolute Gems of Artisanal Winemaking

2008 Calafe Taurasi Riserva
 - 60-80 Year Old Vines
 - A Titanic Wine
 - The Nose Is a Maelstrom of Licorice, Blackberry and Plum
 - Like a Great Cornas
 - Palate Has Blackberry, Spice and The Sweetest Licorice
 - This Will Be One of the Most Epic Wines in Anyone's Cellar
 - "Seamless"
 - Intensity of Great Cornas
 - 93 Points, Eric Guido Vinous
 - The Next Riserva Is 2017 and Will Be Released in 2 Years...
 - ... So Stock Up 

Calafe NV Kami Greco di Tufo "Brut Nature"
 - One of the Most Beautiful Sparkling Wines We've Sold
 - Maybe the Best $30ish Sparkler We've Offered
 - Nose is Like a Field of Lemon Trees in Flower BUT After 45 Minutes It Goes Into Hyperdrive
 - Lime Confectionary Craziness 
 - Palate - So Elegant, Mineral, So Deep BUT Only After 45 Minutes
 - Champagne Method, Champagne Balance, But Very Different
 - 2009 Grapes
 - A Must Buy for Champagne Lovers
 - Crazy Value for Under $30
 - After 45 Minutes In The Glass This Goes from Very Good to Profound - It's Like Two Wines

We've been promoting our undiscovered gems in Italy for a few years now.  We started late in Italy so they have remained, until recently, undiscovered. 

Of course that all changed recently with La Badina's huge 95 point score for its Lessona from Antonio Galloni. And now the reviews are trickling in. And one of our favorite producers is teed up for today.

We discovered Calafe because they were on a wine list at a one star restaurant in Naples and my partner was eating dinner there. They were otherwise completely off the radar.

The Estate
The wines are ridiculous. Not just ridiculously good. But ridiculous in that so much time and effort was put into making them that it is hard to believe. Like many great things, these wines are born from love. In this case, the love of a grandfather for his 3 grandchildren Camilla, Laura and Federica (the first 2 letters of each of their names spell out Calafe). Benito Petrillo was in publishing and bought a mere 2 hectares to start this winery. The results have been miraculous. I get the sense that the owner doesn't do much marketing and would be just as happy to drink the wines and share them with friends.  The prices are not at all reflective of the quality. This Taurasi is a somewhat big wine but nuanced and reminded me of a great Cornas in intensity and structure.

The Wines
The first wine, the 2008 Calafe Taurasi Riserva (for $36.99 each on a 4 pack) is one of the great red wines I sell. There is no doubt. A masterpiece of a wine made from 60-80 year old vines.

The nose is simply ridiculous.  A swirling maelstrom of licorice, blackberry, plum and a hint of blood.  It's one of those wines where on the first sniff, you cock back your head in sheer surprise.  It's dark, dark, dark and almost brooding like a great Cornas can be in a great year but totally different. 

The palate is simply awesome.  Dark, dark blackberry fruits with just the sweetest licorice you can imagine. Incredible spiciness is blended in seamlessly.  Incredibly juicy. The internal aromatics are

amazing and you want to sit with this all night.  And you will. This wine has the craziest structure and those late breaking Aglianico tannins. Incredible salinity and minerality.  I can see it lasting for at least a decade. This is, of course, 100% Aglianico and aged 30-35 months in 1,000 liter barrels and then for another 30-35 months in bottle. One of the best most impressive values of, big, chewy, dense, complex wines I will sell. This is $80 if you slap Cornas on the label. This also got 93 Points by Eric Guido of Vinous.

"The 2008 Taurasi Riserva is an old-school classic, as spicy blackberry and sour cherry fruits are further accentuated by aromas of rosemary, tobacco, a hint of cedar, and animal musk. On the palate, silky textures carry densely-packed wild berry fruits over a core of brisk acids and saline-minerality. It finishes long and incredibly balanced, structured, yet also quite pleasing, as a gorgeous echo of red and black fruits linger, along with a pinch of residual acids, inner earth tones, and dark florals. The 2008 Riserva already comes across as being in its early maturity, yet it has many years left for the patient collector. I believe the word I'm looking for is "seamless."" 93 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous

When I opened the next wine it was in an internal garden shared space in my building. It's quite nice out there and this was right at the peak of the NYC Covid-19 pandemic. We all wore masks and socially distanced but we (me and another couple) were so excited just to socialize with each other in real life we didn't give the wines that much attention. I had opened the Kami before a few times and I drank it so quickly I didn't get a chance to see the this reach it's qualitative height. That was a huge mistake. Because after 45 minutes, despite us talking about Covid-19 the whole time, we stopped and we were dumbfounded with how great the wine was. It had taken a lunar leap into profundity. And for a brief moment, maybe the next 30 minutes, we just talked about the wine and it was on of the most enjoyable bottles of wine I've ever had in my life.  But all three of us really could not believe it.

That wine is the NV Calafe Kami Greco di Tufo "Brut Nature" for $29.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is simply put a beautiful, beautiful wine. Made using Method Champenoise, 18-24 months on the lees, this is from grapes grown in 2009.  It's a wine that if you love Champagne, you have to try.  It's Champagne method so it is Champagne-like, of course, but this is grown in Camapania and made from Greco di Tufo, so it's very different.  Champagne of this quality is easily $50+.  Of course, there is nothing quite like this in Champagne.

The nose is, and I know this is a goofy word, lovely.  Such a lovely, toasty, almond-scented nose. Gorgeous. Clean, mineral, sea air. Drinking it is like being in a field of flowers on a bright spring day. Such balance. As this opens 45 minutes in, it gets crazy.  Lime confectionary craziness on the nose that you cannot stop smelling.  Just a whack citrus cornucopia - but elegant.  No Champagne smells like this - it shouldn't, this is Greco di Tufo.


Palate is elegant, cloud like and juicy with nice citrus and lime. Wonderful mouthfeel and very refreshing and finishes limey and minerally. There is the traditional minerality but also just the most gorgeous lemon flowers.  A hint of almond.  The palate is stunningly elegant. So mineral with echoes of lemon peel , almond and perfect acidity.  It's also salty, almost savory.  After 45 minutes, so much purity. It's like almost two wines. Very good and pleasant for the first 45 minutes and then ultra profound and drinks like really good $50-$60 Champagne after that. I've never seen a Brut Nature Greco Di Tufo before.

2008 Calafe Taurasi Riserva - $38.99 ($147.96 4-pack) 

NV Calafe "Kami" Greco du Tufo Brut Nature  - $31.99 ($119.96 4-pack) 

Keller's Rockstar Protege: Juliane Eller Is the Darling of the Pinot Geeks - Fass List Favorite, Some of the Most Precise Pinots in Germany

The Eller Style
 - Keller-Like Precision and Density
 - Gorgeous Fruit Presence, Just this Side of Ripe
 - Remarkable Denisty and Concentration Like a Coiled Fist
 - Crystalline, Sparkling Minerality
 - Balanced, Integrated Richness
 - Very Linear with Terrific Clarity 
 - Precise Minerality
 - Utterly Striking
 - These Wines Could be Among the Best in Germany with 5 Years of Age
 - As Close to Burgundy As You'll Get in Germany

Next to Enderle & Moll Liason, Our Most Popular German Pinot

2018 Juwel Alsheim Spatburgunder
 - Cranberry, Pomegranate, Bing Cherries, Glorious Spice
 - That Keller Clean, Preceise Elegance
 - Freshness, Drive and Energy
 - With Air, Bouquet is an Overflow of Raspberry and Other Berry Fruits
 - Palate: Red Riesling Minerality
 - Terrific Fruit "Sweetness"
 - Incredible Balance
 - This Is Going to Get More Allocated and More Expensive Over Time

In the 7+ year history of Fass Selections I've never had the overwhelming positive response that I've had for the wines of Julianne Eller and her eponymous Juwel winery. It seems every other day another email comes in thanking me for finding her wines and bringing them in. What's even more crazy is the wine that I least thought would become a hit has become a huge hit, which is her Spagtburgunder, which is about as honest and authentic a wine I've ever sold. It made everyone happy across the spectrum of my clientele. From the casual wine drinker to the über serious wine geek.

Eller's Mentor: the Legendary Klaus Peter Keller
There are many mentors and even more proteges in the wine world.  But there are few who have risen so far so quickly as Julienne Eller.  We all know her mentor, Klaus Peter Keller, who has single handledly shattered the "price ceiling" for German wines with his $1,500+ G-Max.  Keller is, I think,

one of the first winemakers in Germany to craft a style that combines elite levels of precision and clarity with density.  The wines have an exactness to them but also this power that very few winemakers can match.

The Eller Style
Julienne Eller's wines have all of the Keller precision but they have more of Julianne's intensely mineral style with just gorgeous fruit presence just this side of ripe. Her wines shimmer with delicacy but also have super Fassy acidity and freshness. There is also an underlying intensity as well, like a coiled fist.

Her wines shimmer with delicacy but also have super Fassy acidity, minerality and freshness. The wines are stylish and have beautiful harmony and depth. Class in a glass. Julianne is so talented that I am lucky to have her and every bottle is a gift to the vinous world. I won't have enough to satisfy demand but hopefully I will. I want as many people as possible to experience these wines but they are limited.

The Wine
Today I have the 2018 Juwel Alsheim Spatburgunder for $34.99 per bottle on a 4-pack. This wine is arguably, next to Enderle & Moll Liason, our most popular German Pinot Noir. This has all that the '17 has and it even more refined as Julianne refined her style. 2018 is a very strong vintage in the Rheinhessen for Spatburgunder. 2015 is great and very comparable to 18 but 18 is more fresh. The 2018 is, and I hate this term, Burgundian to the max.

Gorgeous, subtle and super pure nose. Cranberry, pomegranate, so clean, bing cherries that are so so bright. Glorious spice. So so glorious. Like a feather it is just the purest, sweetest, most elegant, nimble like Red Rieslingesque Spätburgunder I've ever had from Jewel. Amazing freshness, drive and energy and also a firm mineral backbone and core. So delicate and nimble. Wonderful purity. The mineral red fruited sweetness is gorgeous. Tannins are delicate but there. I see this aging very well for 6-8 years. Gorgeous wine.

After some air the bouquet is an overflow of raspberry and other berry fruits. Floral as well but more like a big bowl of berries picked as fresh as can be, but under that is a pile of wet soil and leaves. It gets so defined as it aerates. Maybe even some mashed flowers. It has a stunning noble perfume. Just stunning and noble aromas but also effusive, easy and inviting.

On the palate, there is structure and acid and so much clean fruit as this is Pinot Noir and it's 2018, which is like 16 turbocharged!  Gorgeous, gorgeous wine with amazing depth. Such incredible razor sharp minerality for a red wine.  The fruit is at once sweet and earthy and so textured you can get lost in the midpalate. Really incredible texture.  And this is pure, mid-season brambly blackberry / raspberry fruit that just crunches in your mouth with such deliciousness, focus, freshness and intensity.


The freshness is something that runs throughout all of Julianne's wines. The mentoring and influence of Klaus-Peter Keller hovers throughout yet without sacrificing her individual style. It has a medium body feel to it in the mouth but is still nimble and most importantly it had the transparency her beautiful Rieslings have. Silky and tense yet inviting, this is a wine that is impossible to hate and easy to like, and easier to love.

2018 Juwel Alsheim Spatburgnder - $36.99 ($139.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $3.59) 

KASTANIENBUSCH - One of the Great Vineyards of Europe - Elite Grand Cru, Reference Point Wine for Entry Level Prices - IMPORTANT

2018 Sven Klundt Riesling Kastanienbusch
 - According to the "Edward Gibbon of Riesling," One of the Greatest Rieslings He Has Ever Had
 - The Platonic Ideal of Minerality
 - An Absolute Reference Point Wine 
 - You Only Get This in the Pfalz in a Great Year, a Great Vineyard and from a Great Winemaker
 - Un Reviewed, Under-appreciated, Massively Underpriced
 - 2018 Is the Best Vintage Since the Now Legendary 2013
 - Nose: A Finely Grained Mineral Explosion
 - Fine Citrus Perfume
 - I'd Put This Nose Up Against Any Chablis You Can Find
 - Palate: Strength, Power, Elegance, Finesse
 - A Superlative Mineral and Structural Density to the 2018 
 - Palate Coating Minerality
 - (Yes There Is Wonderfully Dense, Citrus Fruit, But That Is Not the Point)
 - From One of the Great Vineyards in Germany (Rebholz's Version Through 3 Tier Is $70+)
 - A Wine That Will Evolve, Improve, Define for Decades
 - The 2013 Placed #7 in a Top Wine of Germany Blind Tasting
- Special Case Pricing of $29.99

Before I get into the important history of this wine, I want to lay this out briefly.  This is a reference point wine for mineral style wines. I would put this above virtually any Chablis for mineral density and purity.
 - The Pfalz is known for mineral wines
 - Kastanienbusch is one of the great vineyards of Europe and is renowned for making intense and densely mineral wines.
 - 2018 is a fantastic year in the Pflaz for white wines.

This wine will age for decades and it's a wine that you will want to stock up on and enjoy for many years.

Oh, and please ignore the price - I get this direct so it's very inexpensive and the German wine classification system is inane (please see the box) so this wine is underpriced by at least 50%.

Sven Klundt, Rebholz, Martin Zwick and Fass Selections
First, let's go back to 2014. Martin Zwick is a well respected German Riesling lover and he had an annual blind tasting of the top Rieslings in Germany.  And somehow, Sven Klundt, who was a

relative unknown and not in the VDP, was asked to submit his Kastanienbusch Riesling to the tasting.  Klundt finished #7 out of all the wines in Germany, ahead of the Rebholz Grosses Gewachs Kastanienbusch.  If you are anything but German, this would be no surprise as Klundt grows his wines in the same vineyard.

The Idiocy of German Wine Marketing
So say what you want about the French - they know how their bread is buttered.  They know that one of the things that they are great at is wine. And they have that down pat. The monks demarcated every vine in every vineyard centuries ago. And these demarcations are mostly accurate. A Grand Cru wine is a Grand Cru wine. A Premier Cru is a Premier Cru. We all know what to expect.They've done a spectacular job of explaining to people which wines are good and bad so it's easy for the consumer. 

The Germans....not so much.

Aside from the fact that the Germans have repeatedly changed their classification systems over the past 30 years, there is no accepted list of the top vineyards.  Believe it or not, the top vineyards "Grosses Gewachs" are denoted by a trade organization (the VDP) that you have to pay to join. So if you do not pay to join the VDP, you don't get to call your wine "Grosses Gewachs" which means that you get much less money per bottle for it.

So this means that there are a goodly number of smaller producers who can't afford to join the VDP that are selling Grand Cru/Grosses Gewachs wines for almost nothing.

But for Germany, this was basically the equivalent of some college quarterback from AA beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

So I heard about this and drove over to the Pflaz and tasted with young Sven. The wine was, as expected, a miracle. A perfect example of Pflaz Riesling. It's been a staple of our portfolio ever since.

The 2018 Vintage
Have you had 2013 Sven Klundt Kastanienbusch Riesling yet? Some of you have but most of you have not. I sold it in 2014. The list is much bigger now but people who were on the list back then who are enjoying their 2013 Kastanienbusch are having their minds blown. Totally blown away. The "Edward Gibbon of Riesling" just emailed me the other week with a picture of the 2013 and "INSANE" in the body of the e-mail. This dude knows his Riesling like nobody I've ever met. It's a high high compliment that he loves the 2013. But even he wishes he has more. And he thinks that the 2018 is his chance. 2018 is a clone of the legendary 2013 but might even be better. We will only know down the road.

The Wine
This remains one of the single most electrifying bargains in the entire book and the 2018 Sven Klundt Riesling Kastanienbusch for $30.99 a bottle on a 4-pack is just an insane deal. Even more insane is the special $29.99 Case Price. The 2018 is the best since the legendary 2013. I really really love 2018 and tasted around 30-40 wines recently and the vintage is truly stunning. Dense and mineral with stunning textures and freshness. There is terrific intense acidity but also a wonderful mineral freshness that puts these wines on another level. They evolve open for days. The Klundt was still going so strong on day 3. It closed on day 2, which tells me it will last decades.

Let's dive into this wine.

The Nose: As soon as I opened this it was stunning and wide open. Just incredible. Picture taking finely grained minerals and blasting them into your nose with aerated citrus peels. It's simply an explosion of dense minerality - the absolute Platonic ideal of minerality that you only get in the Pflaz in great years by great producers.   There was also an incredible rainwater quality to the nose that just soared from the glass. It smells like nature. Like a vineyard. So, so floral. White flowers. So fresh.  Floral, spicey with loads of peach skin as well. Deep penetrating aromas of insane complex Pfalz love. Wow. What a high toned nose. So much peach, peach pit, citrus that is superbly clean and pure. Iodine-like minerality. Citrus zest. Lime zest. Huge pitted stone fruits, potpourri, herbs and vivid minerality. A hint of honey and more defined florals develop with air. Great Pfalz dry Riesling is unlike that from other regions in Germany. And Klundt's style perfectly expresses it.  The minerality is so insane, the word minerality does not suffice to describe it.  This is simply as gorgeous a nose as you can find for this style of wine.


The Palate: The palate is hard to describe. It has such strength and power yet top levels of elegance and finesse. There is a precision and the density  in the 2018 that raises the bar. There is a brilliant roundness that I only find in the best white wines yet it remains energetic, dense, high toned and super linear which is what one wants from an electric dry Riesling. Yes, there is also a huge backbone of dynamic fresh and very vivid fruit as well but even that has insane refinement. Incredible tension and structure. Super intense and bright palate, what a powerhouse, it is so packed. Pure. High toned. Explosion of tropical fruits. Massive structure, the cleanliness of this wine is stunning. What a finish of complex rock candy. Sweet saline. Citrus. Mineral sweetness. Lime blossom. Just a massive wine with huge extract, huge structure, huge texture, huge acids. Dramatic and coiled. Balanced, clean and elegant. Nice acid wash at the end. Cleans your palate. The minerality just coats the palate in an almost savory manner like few wines in the world. Almost a wall of flavor wine. There is a an herbal presence in this wine that I only find in German Riesling from great vintages. In a word, this is a stunning effort that will age 15+ years no problem.

2018 Sven Klundt Riesling Trocken Kastanienbusch - $32.99 ($123.96 4-pack, $359.88 12 bottle Case {$29.99}) (*Including Tariff of $3.01)