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Saturday, November 16, 2024

Arkenstone Estate Howell Mountain Napa Valley




2019 Arkenstone Estate Howell Mountain Napa Valley...$213.99
The 2019 Estate Red is another magical wine from winemaker Sam Kaplan. Based on 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot and Malbec, all from the estate on Howell Mountain, it offers up a dense purple hue to go with stunningly pure cassis and darker currant fruits, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a complex, nuanced style in its leafy herbs, flowers, scorched earth, and classy oak aromas and flavors. It’s brilliant any way you look at it. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three decades.
Rated 99/100 Jeb Dunnuck

2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red


PEREFECTION!


2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red....$259.99
An exquisite wine, relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon from a single estate. Aromas of lavender, dried herbs and grapefruit pith combine with flavors of firm fruits and cocoa on a structure of abundant, powder-fine tannin and a mouthwatering finish. This wine is refined, detailed and delicious, with as much elegance as energy. Best 2026–2040.
Rated 100/100 The Wine Enthusiast
This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023.
Rated 99/100 James Suckling
Rated 98/100 Jeb Dunnuck

Continuum Napa Valley Sage Canyon Red



2019 Continuum Napa Valley Sage Canyon Red...$289.99
Blackberries, dark wet soil and blackcurrants. Graphite, too. So aromatic. Pure fruit. Full-bodied with superbly polished, fine tannins that draw you down through the center of palate. Extremely layered and the texture is so curated, giving wonderful persistence. Real plushness and fine, velvety texture. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 37% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot and 6% merlot. Better after 2026.
Rated 99/100 James Suckling
Rated 97/100 Vinous Media



2021 Continuum Napa Valley Sage Canyon Red...$314.99
This is so aromatic with blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite, iron, pine bark and orange peel. Hints of wild sage and peppermint. Seductive perfumes. Full-bodied with extremely well-integrated tannins that have great length. Elegant firmness at the finish. The quality of the tannins is some of the best I have had in a young Continuum. Seamless silk. Great finish. 45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% cabernet franc, 11% merlot and 9% petit verdot. Best after 2027.
Rated 99/100 James Suckling
Rated 96+/100 The Wine Advocate

2021 Lail J Daniel Cuvee



2021 Lail J Daniel Cuvee...$299.99
Lail's 2021 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon blends lots from several high-end vineyards, including Heimark (Calistoga), Vine Hill Ranch (Oakville) and Steltzner (Stags Leap), plus Lail's own Mole Hill on Howell Mountain. It's an exciting wine, starting from the pulse-quickening aromas of raspberries and black cherries tinged with dark chocolate. In the mouth, this full-bodied beauty is richly concentrated, with a sensuous texture somewhere between silky and velvety, while the softly dusty finish shows terrific length and a spine-tingling hint of licorice. To reduce this wine to deceptively simple yet hard-to-pin-down words, it's complex, harmonious and elegant, yet it's enough of its place that it could only come from Napa Valley.
Rated 100/100 The Wine Advocate
PERFECT!!!

Amazing Lithology wines....


Winemakers Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland
only 174 cases made
2018 Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard...$274.99
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard comes from a world-class site outside of St. Helena and is all Cabernet that spent 20 months in 80% new oak. It offers a touch more red fruit as well ample cassis, spring flowers, loamy earth, and spice-like aromas and flavors. It has a wonderful sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, a dense, layered texture, and incredibly purity of fruit. It’s another just about off the charts release from this estate.
Rated 98/100 Jeb Dunnuck
Rated 95/100 The Wine Advocate


2016 Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard...$274.99
From a site just outside of St. Helena, the mammoth-sized 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard (barrel fermented and aged in 80% new French oak) offers up a smorgasbord of dark, meaty fruits, chocolate, damp earth, and tobacco, with more minerality and violet characteristics developing with time in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, and incredibly layered, it’s one of the richer, more powerful wines in the lineup. Drink it over the coming 2 decades.
Rated 98/100 Jeb Dunnuck
Rated 96/100 The Wine Advocate

2019 Cardinale Napa Cabernet Sauvignon



2019 Cardinale Napa Cabernet Sauvignon...$359.99
Pure, classic California notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, chalky minerality, graphite, and spring flowers emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot that's sourced from multiple mountain AVAs in the valley. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, it has a deep, rich mid-palate, beautiful tannins, notable acidity, and a great, great finish. It's another brilliant wine from Carpenter that can offer pleasure today yet also evolve for 20-25 years or more.
Rated 98+/100 Jeb Dunnuck
So much crushed lead pencil, tile and dried flowers, together with blackberries and brambleberries. Full-bodied with round, polished tannins. Layered and so delicious. Black olives and graphite at the end. This potpourri of Napa cabernet character takes your palate on a tour of so many of the regions, including all the mountains, such as Howell, Veeder and Spring Mountain, as well as Atlas Peak, Stags Leap, Yountville and St. Helena. Precision and polish to the wine. Drinkable now, but better to hold.
Rated 98/100 James Suckling
Rated 97+/100 Vinous Media
Rated 96/100 The Wine Advocate
Rated 95/100 The Wine Spectator

2019 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon



2019 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon...$299.99
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another wonderfully evocative triumph from this family-owned Pitchard Hill pioneer. Deep garnet-purple colored, it storms out of the glass with profound scents of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, licorice and mulberries, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers fantastic intensity and great poise, offering fine-grained, ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
Rated 99/100 The Wine Advocate
The flagship from this great estate is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill, which checks in as a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. It has an incredible nose of pure blue fruits as well as flowers, crushed stone, fresh thyme, tobacco, and graphite. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it's nevertheless weightless and light on its feet, with wonderfully integrated acidity, polished tannins, and a great finish. This classic, quintessential Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 20, 30, if not 40 years if stored correctly. 3800 cases.
Rated 98+/100 Jeb Dunnuck


2021 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon...$319.99
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, all aged in new French oak, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill appears destined to be another classic. Penetrating aromas of cassis and red berries are joined by hints of violets, dried sage, crushed stones and pencil shavings on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and intensely concentrated, framed by dusty tannins that linger easily on the long, mouthwatering finish.
Rated 98+/100 The Wine Advocate
Rated 97/100 James Suckling


Friday, November 15, 2024

Orin Swift new releases





2022 Palermo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon...$65.99
A dark garnet core with a brooding cardinal rim, the-2022 Palermo-opens with notes of crunchy cassis, muddled boysenberry, ripe elderberry chapparal and cedar. The palate continues many of the aromatics with traces of cassis, blackberry, savory and thyme. Effuse with ripe dark fruits but also complex savory tones, the wine closes with long and soft tannin chains and hints of licorice, black pepper and star anise.
MATURATION: Aged for 12 months in French Oak, 31% New
ALC/VOL: 15.2%


2022 Orin Swift Abstract Red Blend....$38.99
Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah

Potent and dense, with brooding flavors of blackberry and cherry accented by bitter chocolate, cracked pepper and savory meat tones as this builds tannins on the finish. Grenache, Syrah and Petit Sirah. Best after 2025. 53,000 cases made.
Rated 91/100 The Wine Spectator


2022 Orin Swift Eight Years in the Desert....$46.99
At first glance, the 2022 Eight Years in the Desert looks to be almost black, but after closer inspection, a dark crimson starts to shine through with a tinge of purple on the rim. The nose is rife with notes of ripe blueberry, black plum, wild raspberry, espresso bean, sweet oak and a hint of crème de menthe and cedar. The entry is akin to walking through a tunnel of velvet walls with blackberry jam, reduced strawberry and a touch of rhubarb. Bright acidity throughout the palate, the wine closes with round, ripe tannins, fresh plot and dark chocolate.
BLEND Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah


2021 Orin Swift Machete Red Blend....$53.99
The 2021 Machete Red Blend is composed of Petite Sirah and Syrah and was matured for 14 months in 40% new oak. Initial aromas of graphite and cedar give way to blueberry liqueur, cassis, violet and iron. The full-bodied palate is ripe and concentrated with candied fruit character. It’s structured by abundant, powdery tannins and rounded acidity and has a long, flavorful finish. 5,800 cases produced.
Rated 91/100 The Wine Advocate

Toppling Goliath Fire, Skulls, & Money DIPA


Toppling Goliath Fire, Skulls, & Money DIPA...$16.99 / 4pk 16oz cans
A rich DIPA for those with wanderlust in their eyes. Join our Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Nelson hops on a journey to the bottom of your glass.
Double India Pale Ale:
7.8% ABV
featured Hops:
Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Nelson

Kavalan Single Cask Strength Amontillado Sherry Cask

Kavalan Single Cask Strength Amontillado Sherry Cask...$369.99
was $499.99
Compare to $579.99 at Total Wine and More (not STL) price checked 11/15/24
  • Bottles produced: 509
  • ABV: 55.6%
Launched at the end of 2015, the Amontillado Sherry was officially announced the World's best single cask during the WWA on March 17 at the Whisky Magazine Awards Dinner in London.The WWA is one of the most prestigious and influential world drinks awards programme, launched in 2007 and presented by Whisky Magazine, which is the world’s No. 1 online resource for drinks professionals. The WWA select, reward and promote the best whiskies according to taste and design to consumers and trade across the globe.

Odell Isolation Ale


Odell Isolation Ale...$9.99 / 6 pack 12oz cans
A funny thing happens here around summer’s end—our eyes start searching the skies for those first fall flakes. As we welcome autumn’s first snow, we celebrate the return of Isolation Ale—a sweet-caramel malty ale balanced by a subtle crisp hop finish. Whether you ski, shred, or shoe, it’ll inspire you to make first tracks.

Bells Expedition Russian Imperial Stout



One of the finest!
Back after a few years!
Bells Expedition Russian Imperial Stout...$17.99 / 6pk 12oz bottles
One of the earliest examples of Russian Imperial Stouts in the United States, this beer offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with aging in mind.
A huge malt body is matched with a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruit, and other aromas. The flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages in your cellar.

Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo

 

We only received 24 bottles!!! At Forsyth and online now

Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo...$6.99 / pint

Yorkshire Stingo
Some of the oak casks at Samuel Smith’s date back more than a century with the individual oak staves being replaced by the Old Brewery coopers over the years. Gradually the casks soak in more & more of the character of the ale fermented in stone Yorkshire squares. Yorkshire Stingo is matured in these well-used oak casks in the brewery’s cellars deriving fruit, raisin, treacle toffee, Christmas pudding and slight oaky flavours, before being further naturally conditioned in bottle.

Stingo, traditional strong ale originating in the north of England, is mentioned in literature before 1700. Samuel Smith's Stingo melds the fine history of this style with the signature elegance of the brewery. Brewed from British malt and multiple hop varieties, Stingo is fermented in open-topped stone "Yorkshire Squares," with the Samuel Smith ale yeast strain. It is then aged in oak barrels that previously held cask-conditioned ale, gaining complexity and depth from the wood. Samuel Smith's Stingo ages for a year at the brewery before release. Bottle conditioning - bottling the beer with live yeast for carbonation - produces soft conditioning as well as a fruity aroma and finish. Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo was first released in the US in August 2009. Due to barrel aging & bottle-conditioning, the release year is one year after the year brewed.
Taste

Rich, deep, flavors of toffee, raisin, dried fruit, caramel; waves of flavor ascend and ebb leaving soft oak notes. Bottle conditioning creates elegant conditioning and satisfying fruitiness.

2021 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

sold out
#4 Wine of the Year from The Wine Spectator 2024
2021 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon....$45.99 / 750ml

Packed and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over black currant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead. Drink now through 2036.
Rated 94/100 The Wine Spectator
Inviting aromas of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries as well as crushed walnuts, cedar and bark. Full-bodied, creamy and structured with firm, polished tannins. Balanced and even with a lingering finish. Better after 2026.
Rated 95/100 James Suckling

Urban Chestnut Brewing St. Louis Missouri


Both in stock!!

Urban Chestnut Czech Pilsner...$8.99 / 4pk 16oz cans
Tasting Notes: Peppery, herbal, clean-finishing
Series: Reverence
Golden, peppery, herbal and clean-finishing, our take on the classic Czech-style Pilsner Lager is here. The Pils-purist is sure to appreciate its bitterness and malt character.


Urban Chestnut German Porter...$8.99 / 4pk 16oz cans
Tasting Notes: Dark chocolate, roast coffee
Series: Revolution
A lager that’s as rich as it is robust, and as dark as it is strong—does it get more German than that? Our version of the classic “Starkbier” is rightfully hefty, in both the ABV and mouthfeel departments. Less fruity than your traditional English recipes, this German Porter is best enjoyed after a long, hard day of winter chores… or, around a warm fire with friends and family this holiday season!


2012 Billecart Salmon

Stunning 2012!!
The 2012 vintage in Champagne has earned widespread acclaim from professional reviewers, including The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 2012 is regarded as one of Champagne’s best in recent memory.
2012 Billecart Salmon Rose Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon...$214.98
A blend of 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay, the 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is a real success, wafting from the glass with aromas of red berries, rose, peony, orange blood and dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and broad, it's dense and deep with a multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a textural structure, concluding with a long, delicate, mouthwatering finish. This is one of the finest rosé I've tasted at this address. Kudos!
Rated 97+/100 The Wine Advocate
Rated 96/100 Vinous Media
Rated 97/100 James Suckling



2012 Billecart Salmon Blanc de Blancs Louis Salmon...$199.98
A 100% Chardonnay, sourced from vines planted in the communes of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Cramant, and Oiry, the 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Louis Salmon evokes aromas of lemon oil, pastry, baked bread, walnuts and chalk. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's vinous, almost creamy, with a layered, delicate structure that leads to a delicately citrusy, long and delicate finish. This Champagne is built to age, thanks to the power of the 2012 vintage and the house's signature tension. Disgorged in the second quarter of 2023 with 3.9 grams per liter dosage, it was matured 75% in stainless steel and 25% in barrels.
Rated 96/100 The Wine Advocate
Incredible aromas of brioche, bread dough and pie crust with superb, electrifying fruit, from peaches to fresh apples. It’s driven, mouthwatering and with fantastic structure, yet it’s so balanced and creamy. Very fine and silky bubbles. It’s better and better as it warms slightly in the glass. 3.9g/L dosage. Drink or hold
Rated 99/100 James Suckling
Rated 97/100 Vinous Media

Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon


The 2021 was The Wine Spectator's 2024 Wine of the Year (it scored 96 points with a $175 suggested retail).  
We do not have any of that vintage, the distributor does not have any yet either.  We will try, but we do have the 2020 in stock and it has big scores too,
2020 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon..$119.98
Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024.
Rated 97/100 James Suckling
Inviting aromas of chocolate-covered cherry, dried rose petal and petrichor set the stage for this well-structured red, which balances concentrated berry and mission fig flavors against vibrant acidity, lending a lush, mouthwatering quality to a finish that swirls with cassis, spices and fine tannins. Drink now through 2038. 14,600 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.
Rated 95/100 The Wine Spectator

2019 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley




We bought the last of the great 2019 Cabernet!
We have it on sale right now!!
Drinking very well right now!
2019 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley....$49.98

Compare to $55.99 at Total Wine and More (price checked 11/15/24)
Since its founding in 1972, Jordan Vineyard & Winery has produced just one red wine in every single vintage: a Cabernet Sauvi- gnon. Thanks to meticulous craftsmanship, the 2019 embodies the standard set for this world-class red. Its sleek mouth- feel is dotted with white-peppered black raspberry, balsamic, and Italian herbs as well as illustrious, glossy tannins.
Rated 96/100 The Tasting Panel

Five Farms Cork County Irish Cream Liqueur





Five Farms Cork County Irish Cream Liqueur...$27.99/ 750ml
Compare to $29.99 at Total Wine and More in St. Louis (price checked 11/15/24)

Why is it so good?

  • Farm-to-Table Origin

    • Crafted in County Cork, Ireland’s largest and southernmost county.
    • Made from fresh cream sourced from five family-owned farms within 48 hours of collection.
    • Represents a generational connection to the land and dedication to craftsmanship.
  • Rich, Single Batch Cream

    • Produced with the finest dairy cream from County Cork's "happy cows."
    • Mild climate and fertile farmland create ideal conditions for premium milk production.
    • Single-batch processing ensures a rich, creamy, and consistent product.
  • Premium Irish Whiskey

    • Uses triple-distilled Irish Whiskey from County Cork, known for its centuries-old distilling traditions.
    • Contains a higher whiskey content than other brands, adding complexity, smoothness, and warmth.
  • Superior Flavor Profile

    • Combines luxurious creaminess with a bold whiskey intensity.
    • Offers an authentic taste of Ireland in every sip.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Oka Gin and Vodka





Oka Japanese Gin...$21.99 / 900ml
  • Japanese gin produced by the Tsutsumi Distillery in Japan
  • Base spirit pot distilled from 100% rice
  • Botanicals include Macedonian and Himalayan juniper, young ginger, orris root, and rotating varieties of seasonal citrus
  • Distilled 6 times in a copper-lined, stainless steel pot still; botanicals are added directly to the still during final distillation
Big, bold aromas of yuzu, juniper, sansho peppercorn, and orange oil precede a spicy palate highlighting piney juniper, earthy ginger root, and vibrant lime with Mandarin orange and soft rice sweetness
43% ABV


Oka Japanese Vodka....$21.99 / 900ml
Japanese vodka produced by the Tsutsumi Distillery
  • Pot distilled from 100% rice
  • Fermented 7–10 days using sake brewer’s yeast
  • Distilled five times in a copper-lined, stainless steel pot still
  • Charcoal filtered through bincho tan (Japanaese artisanal charcoal) made of obame oak
Faintly sweet and floral aromas reminiscent of ginjo sake transition to a palate that doubles down on the florality of its rice base, incorporating hints of green apple, citrus peel, white flowers, and Twizzlers before a dry finish
43% ABV

Pot distilled from Japanese rice in Kumamoto (the rice basket of Kyushu), OKA VODKA is an elegant spirit crafted and proofed for contemporary cocktailing. Clean and crisp with elegant, floral aromas that harken to Tsutsumi Distillery’s sake- and shochu-production lineage, OKA VODKA is filtered using bincho tan, an artisanal Japanese charcoal measured as the purest carbon charcoal in the world with a carbon purity of 98.8%!


Oka Japanese Yuzu Vodka....$21.99 / 900ml
Yuzu flavored Japanese vodka produced by the Tsutsumi Distillery
  • Base spirit pot distilled from 100% rice
  • Yuzu pulp and peels are macerated and pot distilled; yuzu peels are macerated post-distillation for one week
Bright, juicy yuzu on the nose precedes a vibrant, oily palate dialed in on yuzu peel with subtle notes of jasmine blossom and underripe mango
Lightly filtered; may contain a minimal amount of sediment from the yuzu peel maceration
35% ABV

Prized for its complex flavors and aromas, yuzu is ubiquitous in Japanese cuisine and is increasingly common as a cocktail ingredient. Starting with a base of OKA VODKA, yuzu is incorporated not only during distillation but through a weeklong maceration before bottling, providing additional intensity and fresh citrus-oil bite to balance its approachable ABV. A versatile and inspiring cocktail spirit for the creative bartender, mixologist, or anyone looking for a natural and complex substitute for common citrus vodka.

2021 Antinori Tignanello

More in stock!!

#3 Wine of the Year 2024
The Wine Spectator

The 2021 vintage marks the 50th anniversary of this iconic super Tuscan
2021 Antinori Tignanello....$159.99

Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Best from 2027 through 2045. 11,083 cases imported.
Rated 97/100 The Wine Spectator

Compass Box Secrets of the Smoke Scotch




Compass Box Secrets of the Smoke Scotch...$139.99
104 proof 
Peated Blend: Prominently features Caol Ila single malts, with significant contributions from Laphroaig, Bowmore, and Ardmore, emphasizing layered, smoky characteristics​
Cask Variety: Aged in diverse casks, including Palo Cortado sherry butts, second-fill Spanish red wine, and first-fill Marsala casks, which contribute savory, briny, and slightly fruity notes​
Limited Release: A special, limited-edition blend from Compass Box, known for its innovative approach to Scotch blending.  Compass Box Secrets of the Smoke is a limited edition Scotch whisky that showcases Compass Box’s signature creativity in blending, with a focus on deeply layered and complex smoky flavors. This whisky is crafted to celebrate the nuances of peated malt, offering an enticing combination of earthy, smoky, and sweet notes.