by | September 28, 2016

Bordeaux Start of the Week

It is Hump Day and there is no other day that needs some powerful motivation to keep pushing through than today, so here is a sweet reflection of Super Seconds from Monday night to motivate your work day and bring you a little bit closer to your next glass of fine wine.

1989 Leoville Las Cases- was on fire!! Great depth, fantastic dark fruits of dried black cherry, berry and plums, gorgeous layers of turned earth, dried violets, leather, rich tobacco, cedar and dark spice. The layers kept evolving in this richly flavored Bordeaux while keeping an elegant poise. Uber fine tannins expand in the palate and seamlessly lead into a lengthy, haunting finish. Showing beautifully right now with still a great life ahead of it!

2003 Cos d’Estournel- Powerful, gripping and more stubborn than previously experienced. A great bottle to cellar and once it hits its sweet spot again, it will reward many palates in years to come.

1996 Pichon Lalande- Waking up quite nicely! Some of the 95’s and 96 Bordeaux we’ve opened recently have seemed to have gone into a more reserved stage, but this showing on Monday was lifted and more lively! Turned earth, roasted bell peppers, crushed gravel, cedar and soft  baking spice with notes of leather and dried sweet red currants coating the tongue. The finish is lengthy fueled by its expansive flavors and its rich textures. No doubt a fantastic wine and I highly anticipate the next time I revisit this wine.

 

bordeaux-monday-9-27-2016

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by | September 20, 2016

Today’s Offer: Old School 12 Yr Old Rioja Reserva- Sub $40!

This is a truly special wine that merits every wine lover’s attention! When someone mentions fantastic Rioja the first name that jumps to mind is Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia! I first tried the wines over a decade ago and they tasted like nothing I had ever had before! Lopez de Heredia was founded 140 years ago and is one of the three oldest wineries in Rioja. They are still family-owned (a rarity now in Rioja) and they make their wines from estate grown vineyards they have owned for over 100 years! These extremely old vines paired with old barrels they make on site  create a truly unique and superlative wine that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world!

Today we are offering another legendary vintage: the 2004 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva for a rocking deal! This stunning 12 year old Reserva Rioja ages longer than other bodegas’ Gran Reservas and the results will blow you away! This killer Rioja is loaded with dried cherry, strawberry and orange peel with savory flavors of tea, mushroom, pork and old leather. It is extremely smooth on the palate with a polished texture, light tannins and bright acidity. The wine is harmonious and graceful with a 40 second finish and complexity that other wines only aspire to achieve! It should drink great for 10+ years and I cannot recommend it more highly! I managed to grab a handful of cases that arrive tomorrow and you should grab some today! You will not regret it!

This is one of the oldest wineries in Rioja in a classic vintage and the wine is AMAZING! They age their Reserva like others do their Gran Reservas and the results speak for themselves. Grab a case today – you will love it! kim@graileys.com

2004-lopez-de-heredia-vt

 

2004 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Rioja

Graileys Price: $42.95 per bottle | $479.40 per case ($39.95/btl!!)

94 Robert Parker: This is bottled after six years in oak barrels. The nose feels savory (if that’s possible–umami?) and developed, with tertiary aromas and good balance between spices, leathery notes, cherries and balsamic notes of cigar box and incense. The palate is both round and crisp, with refined tannins. It has very good balance with subtle acidity and very good persistence. 

 

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by | September 16, 2016

King of Nebbiolo- Scarpa!

This week we were thrilled to host Martina Zola at Graileys for an exceptional flight of perfectly aged Piedmont wines… I’ve been looking forward to this tasting all week… Martina is the owner of legendary Scarpa winery in Barolo and they have been making amazing wines for over 150 years now! Scarpa was a founding member of both Barolo and Barbaresco and these traditionally crafted wines were the inspiration for the great Nebbiolos crafted by Angelo Gaja and Bruno Giacosa over the last 30 years! This winery is known as a King of Nebbiolo in Italy but the wines are just now getting exported into the USA this year. Lucky for us they are coming direct to Texas!

 

 

scarpa-tasting-9-14-2016

 

 

We tasted through 6 excellent wines starting with their single vineyard Barbera La Bogliona, the benchmark for Barbera in the entire region. We also tasted through the Barbaresco Tettineive and Barolo Tettimorra; within each category, Martina was generous to bring an aged bottle from her library collection and a more youthful bottlings for a killer comparison and vintage reflection. For me the 1999 Scarpa Barolo “Tettimorra” stole the show to me! At 17 years of age this powerful wine was full of the exotic aromatics that make Barolo so great: dried roses, truffles, black currant, leather and cigar. On the palate the wine was still big and mouth-coating with flavors of black cherry, cassis, dried roses, grilled herbs, smoke and tar with a stunning and complex finish that just wouldn’t quit! I came in today and there were still a few ounces in the bottle. I am drinking it now as I write this and the wine is even better the second day after sitting out all night! I have just a few bottles of this ridiculously good wine left after the tasting and I had to offer it in the Graileys Blog! The wine is $129.95 per bottle, an absolute steal!!  Grab this aged beauty while you can!!

 

1999-scarpa-barolo-tettimorra

 

 

The 2001 Scarpa Barbaresco “Tettineive” was the star of the night! They told me they had a small stash in the ancient cellars at the winery and my ears perked up! We are thrilled to get  10 six pack wooden cases of this stunning wine released to us exclusively for Graileys clientele! They are shipping them direct from Italy and they arrive in 6 weeks.  At 15 years of age this beautiful wine is full of the exotic and explosive aromatics that make Barbaresco so great: wild roses, bing cherry, red currant, saddle leather, truffles, and crushed rocks. On the palate the wine is elegant and alive with seamless flavors of raspberry, red cherry, cranberry, wild red roses, dried herbs, smoke, potpourri and stony minerality with a stunning and complex finish that just wouldn’t quit! This beauty has the elegance of Burgundy with the soul of Barolo!  

Graileys Price: $129.95 per bottle | $779 per 6 pack OWC  I cannot praise this wine more highly!! Secure your six-pack today!!  kim@graileys.com

2001-scarpa-barbaresco-tettineive

 

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by | September 12, 2016

A True American Classic Not to Be Missed!!

Over the weekend, we popped a bottle of a true American Classic and this baby is hard not to love! 2013 A. Rafanelli Zinfandel is one of the greatest Zinfandel made to my palate year in, year out! This fourth generation family owned winery, in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley, planted their gnarly old-vine Zinfandel in the early 1900’s and now make a small amount of great wine from these 100+ Year Old Vines! The focus at A. Rafanelli is always on quality over quantity and you normally only see this fine wine at the best restaurants and in the cellars of savvy older wine collectors. This wine has a cult status for people that love honest, old school Zinfandel with wild, brambly raspberry and cherry flavors, warm spiciness and excellent grip and body! The wines are not black in color or super syrupy sweet / over-ripe like some wineries prefer to make Zinfandel nowadays.That is not to say that Rafanelli makes a “light wine” by any means! Far from it: this Zinfandel is classically structured and styled with an expressive vibrancy of deep dark fruit and intriguing layers of spice and vanilla. Framed by toasty oak, with flavors and nuances that play on your palate, it is hard to stop drinking this amazing wine once the cork gets pulled! Take this chance to grab some today for the best price in the USA! Grab a case while it lasts for an even better deal!  You know where to reach me: kim@graileys.com. Stock up on this benchmark Dry Creek Zinfandel-  If you drink only one Zinfandel this year, make it this 2013 Rafanelli!  You will love it! Have a great day!

 

2013-rafanelli

 

2013 A. Rafanelli Old Vine Zinfandel

Graileys Price: $49.95 per bottle | $564 per case ($47/btl!!)

Superb purity, wonderful fruit, and the classic black raspberry/cherry, spicy Zinfandel aromatic and flavor profile. The wine’s deep ruby/purple color is followed by a sweet attack, dried, full-bodied flavors, copious quantities of black fruits, and a long, lusty finish. This is what Zinfandel should be! 

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by | September 7, 2016

A Revisit with an Australian Icon

Last night we had a chance to open a very special bottle of wine, 2010 Penfolds Grange, and what a terrific revisit! We haven’t seen this spectacular vintage of Grange since our epic Penfolds Grange vertical tasting nearly six months ago and I am personally very impressed with how this bottle is showing. This big boy is filled with alluring aromatics and seductive texture and it once again blew me away. If it wasn’t uber cashmere like before, it sure is now- last night’s bottle has turned completely into silk! Textually alone, Grange was not my first call in this killer blinder. “What?! This is 2010 Grange I am tasting?!”, the fruit was so explosive with rich black berry, black plum and black currant, the floral components were plush, wild and fresh with subtle notes of charcoal lingering behind. My original encounter of this vintage of Grange was impressive enough and now it has once again blown my mind; from its original richly sexy approach to now more graceful and delightfully elegant stature, what a great time to enjoy this Aussie treasure. I highly anticipate just how amazing this bottle will continue to show in decades to come.

 

2010 Grange 9.07.2016

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by | September 2, 2016

A Grand Cru Perspective

With the close of summer, it has been a little quiet in the Front Room, but this mid-week brought us a cool blinder for us to try. Corton Grand Cru vs Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru in 2011, by Domaine de Montille. Both wines were spectacular in their own expression and it was really interesting to try them blind, side by side.

 

The Corton had more bold, warm tones, with a lively nose and more extraction on the palate. Flavors of golden apples, brown pear, brown butter, warm vanilla, creamed corn. Rich, powerful texture that coats the mouth’s perimeter with a stellar, lengthy finish; this was ready to roll straight from the bottle.

 

The Corton Charlemagne was not as intense as the first wine. More focused in texture, mineral driven flavors of crushed chalk, flint, limestone and wet rocks. Soft under-ripe white pineapple, white peach, crunchy green apples, lime blossoms, apple blossoms, citrus zest, touch of brine. Killer flinty finish. This would be the grand cru to cellar long term; with its laser-like precision, ripping acidity and bullet-proof structure.

 

 

2011 de Montille Corton and Corton Charlemagne

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by | August 29, 2016

Champagne Friday!!

The energy all throughout Graileys was as vivacious as the bubbles in each bottle of Champagne we opened for our Champagne Friday tasting event!!  We featured over 20 killer selections of Champagne from a number of amazing producers from the best Big Houses and a few of our favorite Growers! Over 60 people attended and tasted through the wonderful selection and the favorites from the line-up quickly became apparent! Some people loved the dry mineral and funky tones of the Grower Champagnes we had and others flocked to the back for Krug and La Grande Dame to say they had drank it, but the real stars of the tasting were these 4 wines I am offering today from the legendary houses of Louis Roederer and Pol Roger. Every one of these had multiple revisits and tons of character for very attractive prices! We decided to offer the winners out today to people that love good Champagne! Grab 3 bottles of each to maximize the discount and stock up the house with ageworthy bubbles that rock!  Let me know if I can grab some for you. Thanks! kim@graileys.com

 

Champagne Friday 8.26.2016

 

2006 Louis Roederer Brut Nature “Starck”

Graileys Price: $74.95 per bottle | 10% Off Mixed Cases – $67.45/btl

Wine Spectator 93: Sleek and minerally, this firm Champagne is softened by a swathe of silky texture, offering a tapestry of persimmon, pear, chalk and lemon zest flavors, with rich hints of pastry and chopped almond. Graceful and ethereal, this features a lasting saline impression that echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 125 cases imported into the USA.

 

2008 Louis Roederer Vintage Brut

Graileys Price: $73.95 per bottle | 10% Off Mixed Cases – $66.55/btl

Wine Spectator 93: Elegant and harmonious, with bright acidity enlivening the refined and creamy mousse and flavors of pastry, creamed pear, crushed blackberry, spun honey and slivered almond. A streak of chalky mineral resonates through the wine and lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2028.

 

NV Pol Roger Brut Reserve

Graileys Price: $50.95 per bottle | 10% Off Mixed Cases – $45.85/btl

Robert Parker 92: The Pol Roger NV Réserve Brut displays a brilliant, perfectly ripe but also fresh, highly elegant and refined fruit aroma on the nose; think of cooked pip fruits like pears and apples, but also quince-confiture and yellow stone fruits, such as apricots and peaches intermixed with vanilla, brioche, some nutty flavors and also some white floral notes. On the palate, this medium-bodied Brut is as round and fruit-driven as it is delicate, pure and very elegant. The mousse is deliciously fine and leads this charming and perfectly balanced fizz to a long, aromatic, stunningly dry and slightly mineral, impressively long finish. This is extremely well done Champagne!

 

2004 Pol Roger Vintage Brut

Graileys Price: $112.95 per bottle | 10% Off Mixed Cases – $101.65/btl

Wine Spectator 93: A crowd-pleaser, with overall harmony and elegance, this is hard to stop sipping, showing lively acidity and a fine, creamy mousse that carries flavors of black cherry and berry, pastry cream, honey and candied ginger. Presents a fresh, chalk-tinged finish. Drink now through 2027.

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by | August 25, 2016

A Napa Favorite Time and Time Again

Last week we had a chance to try the newest release from a Napa standard bearer and it’s so damn good I had to offer it on our blog! 2013 Quintessa! To say the wine knocked our proverbial socks off would be an understatement! Thanks to the recently added expertise of legendary oenologist and winemaker Michel Rolland (Araujo, Bond, Bryant, Dalla Valle, Harlan, Sloan…) Quintessa has put the peddle to the metal with this stunner increasing the richness, aromatics, complexity, depth and “wow-factor” from this beautiful Rutherford property five fold! Robert Parker called this “the most profound Quintessa made to date that should evolve gracefully for 20-25 years!” I begged and pleaded with my wine guy to sell us as much as they could spare! I managed to secure 10 beautiful sixpacks of this rockstar wine to offer out today for a super low price! You would absolutely love this Cabernet Sauvignon based blend in 2013- it is loaded with opulent black fruits, violets, dried herbs, exotic spices, truffle, camphor, gravel and cocoa with tremendous power, balance and length. It’s a delicious baby that will drink magnificently for decades to come! Stock up while it lasts!

2013 Quintessa

 

2013 Quintessa Proprietary Red

Graileys Price: $165 per bottle | $990 per six pack

Robert Parker 96:The 2013 Proprietary Red Wine has always been good, but I think they have re-positioned themselves at a much higher pinnacle with the 2013. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend but has important component parts such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from their gorgeous vineyards just off the Silverado Trail in Rutherford. The wine has a dense bluish/purple color and abeautiful nose of black raspberries, blueberries, lead pencil shavings, and touches of oak and spring flowers. The complexity of the fragrance is followed by a wine with terrific body, stunning purity, wonderful balance, and great depth and richness. This is certainly the most profound Quintessa made to date and should evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.

One of my old favorites has taken their Rutherford game to a whole new level with this ridiculously great Cab Blend! Grab a six pack while they last for this excellent price!  Reach me directly at kim@grailleys.com for your 6pk of Napa Cabernet bliss!

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by | August 18, 2016

New Vintage of an Old Time Favorite- Patz & Hall

Last week, Donald Patz of Patz & Hall dropped in for a quick visit to taste us on his classic Sonoma Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and man are we glad he did!! We’ve always been fans of Patz & Hall wines and we were so excited to try their next release of the 2013 and ’14 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The ’14 Chardonnay’s are beautiful wines with the Dutton Ranch Chardonnay offering its signature lush textures filled with multiple layers of rich flavors from exotic fruits to warm toasted almonds. The 2014 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay was more my style with bright citrus leading the palate with hints of white pineapple and green apples while still being creamy to the touch.

From the Pinot Noirs, the 2014’s Gaps Crown Pinot blew us away! While the ’13 Sonoma Coast Pinot is great for the daily glass, the Gap’s Crown has everything I love in a stunning Pinot Noir. Supple texture, crushed raspberries, juicy red cherries, sweet cola and warm baking spices. We can’t stop talking about this Pinot Noir! It’s terrific now and will continue to be fantastic, in not more so, well into the future! Keep a lookout for a Graileys’ Patz & Hall offer and if you can’t wait, shoot me a note {kim@graileys.com} and I will get these wines in your glass ASAP! Whether you love elegant flavors in a lighter texture or rich flavors and more mouthcoating sensations, Patz & Hall has a spectacular Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for you.

 

Patz & Hall 2013, 2014

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by | August 15, 2016

Show Me- Old Northern Rhone!

Chave, Jaboulet, Rene Rostaing, Guigal, all of the heavy hitters of Northern Rhone were opened in our Boardroom last Friday night for another spectacular round of You Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine… Old Northern Rhone Edition. While it was a stunning lineup and there was much love for each and every bottle, only one bottle stood out above the rest in this epic blind tasting… and the wine of the night was, 1997 JL Chave Hermitage!!  This bottle blew me away right upon opening with lively aromatics of crushed dried raspberries and twizzlers!  The palate was absolutely insane! Rich spices black and red, duck fat, dried rose, savory herbs, black pepper, leaves of a juniper tree and gorgeous deep minerality! Even though the wine kept getting better and better as the night went on, the impact of the first sip still haunts me today.

The ’88 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle was also a beauty!! It took some time for it to open up, but had I personally blinded the ’88 Jaboulet La Chapelle next to the ’97 Chave at the end of the night instead of uppon opening, the ’88 Jaboulet could have taken first place for me. I can’t keep count on how many dimensions the ’88 La Chapelle showed and it just evolved into a better expression with each passing hour. The best expression of 1998 in Cote Rotie went to Tardieu Laurent! The bacon was sizzling in the Tardieu Laurent followed by rich red and black cassis, smoke, licorice, deep peppercorn spice and chunks of granite all pureed into a magnificent glass of Cote Rotie. The finish was not quite as lengthy as JL Chave’s but wow, the Tardieu Laurent gave a really really good fight. Each of these bottles rode the fine line between red Burgundy and Rhone and this epic Rhone blinder really opened my palate, my mind and my heart for old Northern Rhone with their elegance, their resilience and the beautiful, profound flavors and textures these perfectly matured wines deliver. If you’ve yet to discover old Rhone, I cannot recommend it more highly for a mind blowing wine experience. We have a good amount of old Rhone in our cellar so don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to try a new wine experience. These amazing wines are not to be missed!! You can contact me directly- kim@graileys.com.

 

Show Me, Old Rhone 8.12.2016

 

Other Incredible Bottles of the Show Me Tasting

1988 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle

1998 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle

1998 Tardieu Laurent Cote Rotie

1998 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie

1999 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie

1999 Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis

2005 Michel & Stephane Ogier Cote Rotie

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