Lagar de Costa Albarino
$34.99
Lagar de Costa is a family winery, managed through more than a century with the effort and dedication of three family generations dedicated to championing the indigenous Albariño grape and to crafting it into high-quality white wines. The vines have an average age of 30-plus years and the wine is a light gold colour with an expressive nose of mineral, spring flowers and lemon meringue. Creamy-textured, rich, vibrant, and well-balanced. It would go well with a wide array of seafood, soft-ripened cheeses or simply on its own in the summer shade.
Peter Lauer Riesling Sekt Brut
$59.99
This esteemed wine estate in Ayl has among the best steep slopes on the Saar. In addition to the famous Ayler Kupp, they cultivate two other important vineyards in the Mosel region: the Saar Feilser directly above the river and the steeply sloping vineyard Schonfels, a little farther upstream. They recently replanted and recultivated the now forgotten Lambertskirch, just a stone’s throw from Schonfels.
Their white wines have been among the best in the Saar for many years. Since 2013,they have been a member of the VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates). Their wines from VDP GROSSEN LAGEN in the dry and off-dry styles are particularly special. This is a pure, bone-dry Sekt that expresses the transparency of Riesling in these cool, southerly vineyards of the Mosel valley. Although this is bottle fermented like Champagne, it is a world away from the toasty richness of that wine. Instead it's properly dry, chalky and bracing, the ultimate appetite-whetter.
Georges Laval Cumieres Champagne
$199.99
This tiny, impeccably-run estate in Cumières is known only to a select few connoisseurs of Champagne. You could drive through the village a hundred times without knowing it was there, and in fact, aside from a well-worn, barely legible placard with the words “Champagne Georges Laval” written in about three millimeter-high script just above the doorbell, there is no marking whatsoever to indicate its presence. Behind these simple, unassuming wooden doors, however, lies one of Champagne’s greatest treasures. Over four generations, Georges Laval began producing estate-bottled champagne in 1971. His son Vincent joined the estate after finishing his studies in 1991, and has been in charge of the cellars since 1996. Laval’s vineyard holdings comprise just 2.5 hectares, with two hectares all in the premier cru village of Cumières, spread over seven parcels. Average vine age is over 30 years, and the oldest vines of the estate are over 70 years of age. Rare and remarkable.
Gnarled Vine Cabernet Sauvignon
$21.99
An unbelievably good price for a California Cab! This robust red is steeped in blackberry jam, cassis and mocha-chocolate flavours. Yet, as balance in wine is everything, it also has a great acidic backbone and firm tannins. Enjoy with a slab of grilled Alberta beef. The Gnarled Vine label is produced by the Oak Ridge Winery,
Hansel Cahill Lane Pinot Noir 2021
$79.99
Year after year, the Cahill Lane Pinot Noir offers a consistently delicious red, full of red fruit along with floral and spice notes plus a silky, elegant texture.
Stephen Hansel has this to say about Cahill Lane's Pinot Noir: "A blend of 3 clones, clone 114, clone 115, and the Rochioli Pommard clone, are grown each on its own one acre site. The vines were planted in 1989 and are in their peak, quality wise. The Rochioli pommard and the clone 115 contribute red berry and cherry flavors and the clone 114 adds a dimension of herbal flavors giving Cahill Lane an Old world character."
Terredora Irpinia Falanghina 2024
$39.99
Made from 100% Falanghina harvested from selected vineyards in Campania.
This winery begins with a tale of two brothers - Walter and Antonio Mastroberardino -who parted ways, with Antonio acquiring the winery and Walter acquiring the vineyards (renamed as Terradora). The Terredora di Paolo estate is located on the hills of Irpinia surrounding the valleys of the Sabato and Calore rivers. With about 180 hectares of vineyards, they rank among the most prestigious producers in Southern Italy. The South of Italy is one of the most interesting wine areas in the country and Campania, and especially the Irpinia region, produces wines from native grape varieties such as Aglianico, Fiano, Greco, Piedirosso and Falanghina, all of which are brimming with personality. Aglianico has been called the Barolo of the South for its power and its ability to age for many years. We have just received their Irpinia Aglianico, Falanghina, Rosato, and Lacryma Cristi Rosso (made from Piedirosso).
A. Margaine Le Brut 375ml
$52.99
The Champagnes from father-daughter duo Arnaud & Mathilde Margaine are a KWM exclusive, and they are exceptional. With vineyards based in Montagne de Reims, they specialize in Chardonnay (90%) although they also have a small plot of Pinot Noir. This small estate (7 hectares) was started by Arnaud's father (Bernard) in the 1950s and is organically farmed. The vines average 35 years of age and the Chardonnay is produced from a clone unique to the area.
Becker Herrenwingert Pinot Noir
$103.99
The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
Emrich Schonleber Mineral Trocken
$54.99
This estate dates back to 1815 and today they farm 20 hectares of vineyards. Riesling currently accounts for 85% of the vines, supplemented by Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Werner and Frank Schönleber have worked their way to the top of their profession. Germany's leading wine guides unanimously rate Weingut Emrich-Schönleber as a world-class winery. The Mineral is sourced from the younger vines of the Halenberg and Fruhlingsplatschen GG vinyards,and it offers an incredible value to Riesling lovers. Surprisingly saline whilst true to it's name, Mineral hews razor-blade like precision with hammer like slatey minerality buoyed by linear acidity (even in 2022). A wonderful showcase of all the terroirs of the Nahe.