GREAT Summer Prospects & SUPER Online Vendors

wine angel

U20s abound. We are proud to point out thebestofwines saw the trophy-wine-bubble bursting urrlllyy on. Way ahead of the trend…a trend not set as deep, perhaps, as current real estate prices. When will our multi-million dollar homes and those fat home equity credit lines come back? Only when $350 Napa Cabernets become hard to acquire. Right now they are simply hard to find. Try China [ed. “wine angels” are supposedly the hot ticket in Beijing and Shanghai]. In the meantime the thoughtful oenophile can sample from a slew of retailers’ bargain bins PLUS the gemstone picks by some very savvy online/email vendors. Here are three we like [ed. with thanks to alert tBoW team taster Krisses!]

Here are three email wine vendors you should consider latching onto. Websites are for info only. Sign up for email announcements and very worthwhile selections; all very good values as well as wines we do not encounter commonly.

Timeless Wines, Mike Good, President. Contact Information: Phone: 800-417-7821; Email: timeless@timelesswines.com
Expect to find anything offered from anywhere at bargain bin prices. Very good with Euro selections but also offers domestic wines. Shipping and tax included in price. Fast delivery when in stock which is most often. An East Coast operation. Mike Good himself picks up the phone. 2008 Corinne Perchaud, Chablis, A.O.C. 6 bottles $140. 2009 Grand Veneur, Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Les Champauvins 6 Bottles $105.

Garagiste.
Selections offered are always in small lots. Pricing ranges from a recent 1999 Barolo at ~$70 to a 2006 Caparzo Brunello at $30 plus shipping. From their website: “Garagiste is a 100% independent, pro-consumer purveyor of wine, food, wisdom, and esoteric tidbits of travel and culture with an international following bred from respect and trust for our frank and open discourse on topics many would rather brush under the rug. We are not very popular with other wine retailers or those in the trade, but we are extremely popular with consumers.” You are often buying pre-shipment. They ship to you after you have purchased a case (and the wines are in hand). They also offer domestic wines as well as a generally wide range of international. Bargain-hunters supreme. Out of Seattle. No hassle transactions. Sign up for their daily email offers.

Cynthia Hurley Wine Recommendations.
Ms. Hurley offers her opinions and experiences on her website. She only offers her very reasonable French selections. She covers all the notable regions from Bordeaux to Burgundy to Southern France to Alsace. “I import just those wines I want to put in my own cellar: one case for you and one for me.” No pricing online. You have to sign up for her email newsletter. We have not yet purchased but can see it coming. A budding Becky Wasserman?

Do not get the wrong idea. There are still plenty of excellent wines to be had for very decent prices right in our neighborhood. Here are several currently available.

2008 Castello de Medina Verdejo Rueda $10: Meanwhile, back on the street…Steve Goldun of Palate Wine Merchant is on a roll. He cuts the competitions again offering this hot ticket Spanish white wine at a 20% discount from stores where it has already been discounted 20%. The wine is best served chilled. Shows fresh fruity steely lean style. This ain’t no Riesling this ain’t no Disco this ain’t no fooling around. Fresh and lively. Love it.

2008 Durant Vineyards Dundee Hills Lark Vineyard Chardonnay $20: You are less likely to find this one anywhere close by. But you might get it off the website! If you do see it anywhere snap it up. Purchased at 2010 Portland Indie Wine Festival. Chardonnay with spine. Firm and creamy. More lychee than apple flavors. Almost exotic. Very small production. 35 years growing in Willamette Valley and still affordable. Had it with seafood pasta. Perfect. All gone. 13.4%

2009 Renato Ratti Colomb√© Dolcetto d’Alba $15: Here is the real deal U20 Italian red wine. Muted nose with good acidic backbone in harmonic balance. Purple color, restrained fruit. Can carry you through a picnic season. Lovely. We got ours at Du Vin Wine & Spirits in West Hollywood; a very local source for high quality good value Old World wines. Dolcetto is usually a value wine but this is excellent wine and a great example of U20 quality. 13%

2009 Jean-Marc du Burgaud Morgon du Py Vielle Vignes $16: Another outstanding 09 Beaujolais. Rich fruit, deep red color, restrained aroma. Full in the mouth AND mid to light weight. Not a New World wine at all. Full bodied Old World. Like Isabella Rosselini in Fearless. Luscious, enticing, formidable. Build up a cellar with these very affordable high price-quality ratio 2009 Beaujolais wines and be rewarded for years. Picked this up at Woodland Hills Wine Co. 13%