When Walter Hansel Winery comes up in a conversation, it’s easy to reminisce about how they’re a model of consistency, and how their wines continually outshine the vast majority in their category. Then comes the reviews, and they’re second to none. Robert Parker writes that they’re “… consistently terrific wines… realistically priced… consumers couldn’t have a better friend than proprietor Stephen Hansel.” When your brand sets a standard of undeviating quality and exceptionally high scores, it can be tough to stand out among your own vast accomplishments. Walter Hansel has done just that with their flagship Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay…
Alyce is named after Stephen’s mother and makes her entrance from an elevated section of the vineyard that’s planted to a mix of Kistler clones brought over from Hudson and Hyde Vineyards. Having yields of just 2 tons per acre Alyce always has remarkable power and intensity. It’s also kept for around 3-4 months longer on the lees and is regarded for being the biggest and most opulent of all of the single vineyard Chardonnays. With that, it also sells out the quickest… Here’s a chance to secure yours.
WALTER HANSEL
2015 CHARDONNAY
CUVEE ALYCE
Your Price: $36/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2015 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce (named after his mother ) is produced from a field blend of Hyde and Hudson Wente selections. This is a big Chardonnay made from tiny berries. Orange marmalade, tangerine oil, honeysuckle and citrus are all present in this beautifully textured, full-bodied Chardonnay that shows little evidence of oak. It should drink well for at least a decade.” 93-95 Points
Customers who enjoy Walter Hansel’s Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay may also enjoy these two stunning Walter Hansel Releases…
2016 DuMOL Russian River Valley Pinot, Chardonnay & Syrah
DuMOL
2016 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
WESTER REACH PINOT & CHARDONNAY
WILD MOUNTAINSIDE SYRAH
When your brand sets the standard for the types of wine you produce, you have two options… Keep doing exactly what you’ve been doing, or strive to get even better… In the quest to up their game even more, in 2016 DuMOL honed in on their top vineyard sources, and utilized the best-of-the-best fruit for their previously named Russian River Valley wines. Coinciding with the move, they also re-named the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Wester Reach and the Syrah Wild Mountainside. The 2016’s are simply stunning and each wine elegantly expresses the best qualities for each of their origins.
Quantities are incredibly limited and orders will be taken until we are sold out of each one. I welcome you to mix and match a case however you would like, or you may order each one individually and in any quantity below…
2015 Orrin-Sage Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay
ORRIN-SAGE
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA MOUNTAIN
There’s something mystical about a wine so under-the-radar that all of the information available is written on the bottle… But, etched in your mind are the flavors which write a story of its origins, and the care that went into creating it. That’s the feeling that washed over me when I tasted Orrin-Sage’s 2015 Chardonnay, and it was met with a feeling of blissful disbelief when I found out we could offer this wine. I was reminded a little bit of Walter Hansel and even Paul Hobbs when tasting it, and as I read further into it, the story became more detailed and full of lavish characters, with notes of ripe nectarines, Island pineapples, French Bistro creme brûlée and fresh baked lemon Meringue cookies. You simply can’t put this one down…
The publicist did let slide that this is a limited edition of only 160 cases produced. It gets really interesting when you learn that this story was originally destined to be penned by a different world renowned author, but somehow as luck would have it, this narrative made its way to Orrin Sage, and now, luck falls on anybody fortunate enough to take it all in.
ORRIN-SAGE
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $48.00/btl
Tasting Notes: “This gorgeous Chardonnay is a marvelous bottling that was sired from an incredible vineyard source. The wine begins with aromatics of poached pear, ripe nectarines, heavy whipping cream and a touch of sweet vanilla. There are dense flavors of candied citrus, ripe pineapple, lemon meringue and crème brulee that toy with the subtle minerality. This is just an awesome value at this price “
Customers who enjoy the Orrin-Sage Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
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SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $45.00/btl
Your Price: Join Our Insider List to Unlock Special Offers
If the best wines were like a puzzle, this wine would have every piece laid out perfectly. With everything from an accomplished winemaker, iconic vineyard, blockbuster vintage and a terrific price, this wine truly has it all. It was authored by Don Van Staaveren who’s responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines from ’85-’97, and even made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was recognized as the #1 wine on the 1999 Wine Spectator Top 100 list. It was the first Sonoma wine to receive the honor of being the #1 Wine in the World…
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RED MARE
2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $48.00/btl
Your Price: Join Our Insider List to Unlock Special Offers
A luminous interpretation of Dutton Ranch fruit, the 2014 washes over your palate with classic Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, juicy yellow melon and subtle lemon bar. Big and full across the palate and crafted in a plump, round style, if you’re searching for a top-level California Chardonnay without the high price tag that usually comes with one, I would saddle up and secure a case of Red Mare before this one rides off into the sunset
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2017 Elizabeth Spencer Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc
ELIZABETH SPENCER
SAUVIGNON BLANC
2017 MENDOCINO
The very first thing that came to my mind when tasting Elizabeth Spencer’s 2017 Sauvignon Blanc was this is a wine that everybody is going to love… It was followed by pure, clean and refreshing white orchard fruits, ginger, rock minerals, lime and exotic passionfruit. The wine was fermented in 100% stainless steel which helped preserve the natural acidity and bright, clean fruit. At $19.99/btl this is simply one of the best expressions of California Sauvignon Blanc that I’ve found.
Created from two organically farmed vineyards, Gibson and Talmage Bench, the tension created from the two sites creates excitement on the palate. The older vines lend complexity and mineral qualities which I find intensely interesting. Inspired by Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire Valley in France, this is made in a fresh, pure style leaning towards white fruits and minerals. It’s absolutely delicious to drink and as great as it is, it may not be available for long.
ELIZABETH SPENCER
SAUVIGNON BLANC
2017 MENDOCINO
Retails at: $22.00/btl
Your Price: $19.99/btl
Tasting Notes: “This is a medium to light-bodied Sauvignon Blanc, lovingly inspired by the Loire Valley. White peach and apricot, yellow grapefruit, and lemon blossom aromas erupt from the glass. These aromatics carry through and lend a dry fruitiness to the mineral driven pallet. The wine has very appealing ripeness and great balancing acidity, where the complexity of stone fruit and green apples, yield to a very citrusy, crisp finish.“
Customers who enjoy Elizabeth Spencer’s Sauvignon Blanc, may also enjoy these two Sauvignon Blancs…
2017 Pop 300 Oakville Rosé
POP 300
2017 ROSÉ
OAKVILLE
For wine lovers, being in-the-know can sometimes result in drinking a wine that performs so stratospherically above the realm of possibilities for it’s price point and type, that you feel like you stole something when you taste it. POP 300’s Oakville Rosé gives you that feeling and here’s why… Many would argue that the To-Kalon Vineyard in the heart of Oakville is the greatest vineyard in California. A little known secret is that there’s a tiny block of Pinot Noir in the center of this magical vineyard. It’s called the Wilsey Vineyard and in a case where location and being connected takes you the distance, POP 300 has my vote. The aromas alone give you a rush of jubilation and compelling notes of bing cherry, crushed sea shells, minerals and wild raspberries let you know what you’re about to get into… Oh yeah and at $29.99/btl, it’s truly one of the best Rosé wines produced in California. It’s well known that Oakville produces some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon fruit in the world, but very few people would know that Pinot Noir even exits in this iconic region. This is a truly unique, Rose of Pinot Noir by Luke Russ, whose day job is the Commercial Director at O’Shaughnessey Winery, might leave you in shock and disbelief by just how good it is. Just don’t let the shock last too long, because it will be gone before you know it…
POP 300
2017 ROSÉ
OAKVILLE
Your Price: $29.99/btl
Tasting Notes: “This vibrant yet supple rosé showcases a mouth quenching fruit basket of ripe cherries, dried apricot, tree ripened nectarine, exotic guava, white raspberries liquid minerals and dried white flowers. Elegant and enticing from the first sip, the fresh and opulent flavors linger on your palate for quite some time.”
192 Cases Produced
Customers who enjoy POP 300’s Oakville Rosé, may also enjoy these two outstanding Rosés…
2016 G of Château Guiraud Bordeaux White
G of CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD
2016 BORDEAUX WHITE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Variety is the spice of life and while California, Sancerre and New Zealand offer Sauvignon Blancs with bright, sometimes searing acidity and super-crisp flavors, Bordeaux brings a more rich, opulent and lime-infused style that’s impossible to ignore. Detailed, round and broad are all perfect descriptors for Chateau Guiraud’s Bordeaux White which opens up to limestone-scented baked yellow-apples, mandarin orange, tangerine, wet stone and crème brûlée. A palate quenching kaleidoscope of finely detailed flavors keeps you coming back for more, and with a 90-93 Point score from the Wine Spectator, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure a case.
Château Guiraud isn’t just one of Bordeaux’s preeminent producers of First Growth Sauternes, they also produce stunning dry whites wines. A blend of both Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the 2016 is remarkably expressive, rich and assertive. If you haven’t experienced a dry white from this renowned wine region, here’s a terrific opportunity to try one of the best.
G of CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD
2016 BORDEAUX WHITE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Your Price: $19.99/btl
From The Wine Spectator: “This is still a bit tight, with a racy lemon pith frame around the core of white peach, tangerine, chamomile and straw flavors. Shows weight and zip, and should fill out nicely.” 90-93 Points
Customers that enjoy G of Chateau Guiraud’s Bordeaux Blanc may also enjoy these two terrific white wines…
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ALMA de CATTLEYA
2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
SONOMA COUNTY
Your Price: $19.99/btl
Immeasurable talent… gifted… Midas touch… These would all be fitting descriptors of winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave. Her artistry has allowed her to climb the ranks and become winemaker at Pahlmeyer… She’s also made wines at Lynmar and has extensive experience making wine in France. Bibiana applies her vast skill-set and remarkable abilities and crafts wines that exceed all expectations…
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DOMAINE LA CROIX
2017 SANCERRE
SAINT-LAURENT
Your Price: $29.99/btl
Created from nearly half-century old vines, this wine bursts onto your palate with textural bliss, and a well balanced, keen thread of acidity that leaves your palate craving another sip. A pure expression of Sancerre, this immensely appealing 100% Sauvignon Blanc (as all white Sancerre’s are) is highly nuanced, intriguing and loaded with pristine fruit and rocky minerals.
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2015 Leto Cellars Old Vine St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc
LETO CELLARS
2015 SAUVIGNON BLANC
OLD VINE, ST. HELENA
What is terroir? It refers to all of the environmental factors that collectively contribute to a wine’s character and flavors. Things like climate, farming practices, soil type, etc. Reflecting terroir, older vines often provide the best representation of their unique characteristics because the root systems are deeper, allowing more complexity to flow from the earth. Leto’s Old Vine Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect example. Originating from half-century old vines from a single vineyard in Napa Valley’s iconic St. Helena AVA, this is a Sauvignon Blanc with a clear and vibrant voice… Remarkably intriguing, hedonistic and full of life, Leto’s 2015 Sauvignon Blanc draws you in with yellow orchard fruits, ripe pear, orange peel, chalk and minerals.
Created by Brad Warner, the owner/winemaker who has been making wine for over a 1/2 century, Brad’s talent shows in this brilliant interpretation of St Helena Sauvignon Blanc. Arising from the Varozza Vineyard on Pratt Avenue in St Helena, the older vines yield just 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 tons per acre of stunningly compelling fruit. At just $22/btl, one taste and you’re not going to want to LET it gO…
LETO CELLARS
2015 SAUVIGNON BLANC
OLD VINE, ST. HELENA
Your Price: $21.99/btl
Tasting Notes: “This is a bright yet rich white with Bosc pear, ripe honeydew melon and exotic passionfruit that transitions into a limeade and lemon custard mid palate with liquid minerals on the finish. It is an enticing, mouth quenching Sauvignon Blanc that keeps you begging for another sip.”
93 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
Customers who enjoy Leto’s Sauvignon Blanc may also enjoy these two terrific wines from Leto Cellars..
2017 Domain La Croix Saint-Laurent Sancerre
DOMAINE LA CROIX SAINT-LAURENT
2017 SANCERRE
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
The best Sancerre white wines are fresh, bright and full of energy, which is why they complement such a wide variety of foods. While Chardonnay can sometimes be too heavy as a cocktail wine, Sancerre offers a great solution. Old Vine Sancerre adds another dimension of complexity, with even more dynamic and intriguing flavors and Domaine La Croix Saint-Laurent is an absolutely perfect example. Created from nearly half-century old vines, this wine bursts onto your palate with textural bliss, and a well balanced, keen thread of acidity that leaves your palate craving another sip. A pure expression of Sancerre, this immensely appealing 100% Sauvignon Blanc (as all white Sancerre’s are) is highly nuanced, intriguing and loaded with pristine fruit and rocky minerals. If you’re searching for a delicious World-Class white wine that will set the standard for a non-Chardonnay… this is it.
DOMAINE LA CROIX
SAINT-LAURENT
2017 SANCERRE
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
Retails at: $34.00/btl
Your Price: $29.99/btl
Winery Note: “Very pungent nose, floral, stony, stone fruits. Supple, full and nervy mouthfeel, very complex, with flavors of tangerine, kumquat, nectarine. Complex, structured and balanced, with a super long finish. A wine of great energy, brightness and vibrancy.”
Customers that enjoy Domaine La Croix’s Sancerre Blanc may also enjoy these two terrific white wines…
2014 Matias Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay
MATIAS
2014 CHARDONNAY
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
In winemaking, two can sometimes be better than one… When combining two of the most iconic vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the tension created between the two sites can create a stunningly complex flavor performance, with the distinctions from each site filling in where the other might not, and in the end balancing each-other out in a way that you can only get from multiple sites. The 2014 Matias Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay is an absolute perfect example. A remarkable fusion of Sierra Mar and Soberanes fruit, this Chardonnay truly has it all. We weren’t the only ones that loved it… Robert Parker and the Wine Enthusiast gave this beauty a 90 Point Score.
The statement about two sometimes being better than one doesn’t just stop at the vineyard. This sensational Chardonnay was co-authored by talented winemaking-duo Dan Fitzgerald, who worked at Williams-Selyem and John Harley, who worked at Donum Estate… Calling on the talents and expertise from both of them, they’re able to create a Chardonnay that stands out among the rest. Don’t be fooled by the low price, this Chardonnay tastes like it should be about double the price…
MATIAS
2014 CHARDONNAY
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $35/btl
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“... shows butter, sea salt and caramel on the nose, balanced by tangerine and faint jasmine aromas. The wine is elegant and easy to like, with Meyer lemon and prominent-but-not- overpowering honey butter on the palate, and a pink lemonade touch that carries into the finish.”
90 Points
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“… Clean, straight and focused, with bright acidity, medium-bodied richness and notes of citrus blossom, crushed rock and white peach, this beauty is elegant, beautifully fresh and crisp on the palate. It’s a great value and one to drink over the coming 2-3 years.”
90 Points
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Customers who enjoy the Matias Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay may also enjoy these two outstanding wines from Matias…
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MATIAS
2014 CHARDONNAY
SOBERANES VINEYARD
Retails at: $50.00/btl
Your Price: Join Our Insider List to Unlock Special Offers From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “… the 2014 Chardonnay Soberanes Vineyard is a richer, more substantial effort that gives up lots of ripe apple, citrus blossom and minerality in a medium to full-bodied, layered and nicely balance package. It should keep nicely through 2022.” 91 Points
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MATIAS
2014 PINOT NOIR
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $40/btl
Your Price: Join Our Insider List to Unlock Special Offers From Wine Enthusiast: “Dark and concentrated pomegranate and rosebud aromas meet with juniper and sweet pine needle on the nose of this bottling. The attack is a clean and flavorful, mixing dried cranberry and tangy cherry with thyme, marjoram and peppercorn, culminating in a camphor-like finish.” 92 Points
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2016 Cru9 ‘As Ever’ Russian River Valley Chardonnay
CRU9 AS EVER…
2016 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
If you’ve been reading my emails this year, you already know how I feel about Cru9. It’s absolutely one of the best new discoveries for us this year, and with a quality-to-price ratio that you simply will not believe. The 2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is created from a secret vineyard source that also sells to several high-end producers, but due to a non-disclosure agreement, the fruit source needs to be kept secret. One taste, however, will tell you everything you need to know. This wine competes with the best $50 Chardonnays that I’ve tasted, it’s startling how good it is.
With just 4 barrels produced, you can almost taste the attention to every minute detail that went into producing this wine. It was aged for 11 months sur lie, a French term meaning literally ‘on the sediment’, the sur lie style plays a large role in contributing to this wine’s rich, opulent texture. Notably Cru9 also gives back and helps support two nonprofit women shelters, Rudy’s Place in CA and House of Hope in IA. Every time you buy a Cru9 bottle, you also help level the playing field for survivors of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and homelessness.
CRU9 AS EVER…
2016 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $38.00/btl
Tasting Notes: “This lovely, graciously styled Chardonnay has a beautiful nose of orange marmalade, lemon blossom, citrus oil, wild flowers and chamomile tea. The palate follows through with a mouth watering array of ripe pear, toasted hazelnut, butter cream, subtle toasted oak notes, combined with lively acidity. Nuanced, sumptuous and nicely layered, it has a beautifully soft-textured finish. Drink this classically styled Russian River Chardonnay now and over the next few years. 100 Cases Produced”
93 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
Customers who enjoy Cru9’s Russian River Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
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SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $45.00/btl
Your Price: Join Our Insider List to Unlock Special Offers
If the best wines were like a puzzle, this wine would have every piece laid out perfectly. With everything from an accomplished winemaker, iconic vineyard, blockbuster vintage and a terrific price, this wine truly has it all. It was authored by Don Van Staaveren who’s responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines from ’85-’97, and even made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was recognized as the #1 wine on the 1999 Wine Spectator Top 100 list. It was the first Sonoma wine to receive the honor of being the #1 Wine in the World…
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RED MARE
2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $48.00/btl
Your Price: Join Our Insider List to Unlock Special Offers
A luminous interpretation of Dutton Ranch fruit, the 2014 washes over your palate with classic Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, juicy yellow melon and subtle lemon bar. Big and full across the palate and crafted in a plump, round style, if you’re searching for a top-level California Chardonnay without the high price tag that usually comes with one, I would saddle up and secure a case of Red Mare before this one rides off into the sunset
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