Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping
Finding the best deals online & direct from wineries
2 Super Deals on Classic Vineyard Designated Red Wines
2017 Steele Zinfandel Pacini Vineyards, Mendocino $17
Super old vine zin that’s a field blend with a touch of Carignane and mixed reds. Made by
Zin master, Jed Steele, before the winery was sold.
2. reversewinesnob.com
2017 Winesmith Cellars Grenache, Bates Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
A 3-bottle pack for $54.99
This is a great version of Grenache which happens to be a perfect choice for
Traditional holiday meals. Only 212 cases were made.
Direct from the winery: Navarro Vineyards
take advantage of three wines perfect for casual sipping this Spring:
2017 Chardonnay, Mendocino, $18 $216 case)
2017 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley $18 ($216 case)
2018 Pinot Blanc, Mendocino $13.75 ($165 case)
Now the details:
Bottle Prices are for one case, 25% off regular bottle price
Shipping is one cent, yes, only one penny per case!
Why We Like This Deal:
Check these and other Spring deals at www. NavarroWine.com
Final Four NCAA basketball, Spring Break, and Baseball is Back.
Add Easter weekend, Passover, and we have all kinds of reasons for special sales offers and deals.
We began the season by following 36 candidates, each claiming to have the best deals for members, exclusive offerings of super-duper values, rare wines and great vintages and, of course, the next cult wine.
But we are now down to the 4 teams that have been working the hardest to offer exceptional wines and/or exceptional deals.
has played extremely well over the last two weeks.
It continues to find new ways to score, locating unusual wines such as the
Vaughn Duffy Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc.
Current exciting offers:
2013 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original
Grenache, Shiraz | Australia, $14.99
2017 Sancerre, Laporte, $27.00\
Showing great depth with recent selections of a Hermitage, a Tollot-Beaut Savigny, and a Ribeiro Blanco from Galicia, a ballsy play. Also outstanding Gigondas but the Bouzy Rouge was odd. Here are examples of an unusual find and a rare culty wine:
2017 Ribeiro Blanco, Galicia $22.00
2016 Coche-Dury’s Meursault “Les Chevalières, $75.00
These folks have truly upped their game recently. A longshot a few months ago, this week it turned heads with several exciting wines. I liked the way it balanced big names and excellent discounts:
2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Private Reserve Cabernet, Napa Valley for $89.99 (regularly $149)
2010 La Colombina Brunello di Montalcino, $29.97
2013 Geyser Peak, Alexander Valley Reserve, $19.97 (60% off)
Made it into the final four for being so unpredictable but always managing to come up with a surprise play. An excellent Muscadet for under $10 or the 2016 Cos d’Estournel for under $200 may seem unlikely, but this site has them both. I am wildly impressed by the depth of the offerings from the Loire Valley.
Two versatile players:
2018 Bourgueil, Domaine Cotellergie, $16.76
2016 Scott Paul Pinot Noir, Chehelam Mts, $19.71
What about the pre-season favorites and especially www.vivino.com with its 35 millions fans?
That’s a story for another time.
So, I have to confess my picks for the Sweet 16 college teams did not fare well. Each one has, alas, gone home.
My game is online wine shopping, and here is my choice for one of the Final Four
garagistewine.com is the most peculiar online retailer I follow. One reason is that its founder Jon Rimmerman who has been offering wines for over 20 years often presents his daily offers late at night. He is based in Washington State which may explain some things.
He sometimes seems a bit chatty and becomes so excited and enthusiastic that he might belabor a point about a particular wine or region.
He is also insistent about when he will ship your wines and specifies the required temperature and humidity for proper shipping.
But these minor quirks are greatly offset by the pluses.
I enjoy reading his detailed notes because he truly knows his stuff. His background insights about vintages and regions are extremely useful. He is particularly on top of the vintage variations in France’s Burgundy and the Rhone.
He provided a detailed report on 2016 and 2017 based on travels and tastings throughout France and it is spot on. His remarks about 2015 and 2016 Bordeaux are the most reliable in the wine trade.
His analysis of 2016 in Burgundy and of the 2017 Northern Rhone are some of the best I’ve read.
And to this fellow Loire Valley lover, he has the inside track on Loire Valley wines:
“2018 is one of those “pinch me, this can’t possibly be true?” red wine vintages in the Loire. I can’t really compare it to anything else – it has the ripeness of a vintage like 1989 but the freshness of 1996 (another classic year.”
He also looks closely for super wines from Washington, of course but also Oregon. A recent Washington Tempranillo was remarkable.
He often locates super wines under $15 a bottle.
Here are examples of recent offerings:
He recently offered a lovely Provence Rose for sale at $9.99.
He found “the best Bordeaux you’ve never heard of” from 2011.
He comes across as frank, as in these recent notes:
“This is fastidiously produced Chardonnay without a smidge of pretense but the stuffing and expression to, well, pummel just about any other example from outside the Burgundian reach under $30. In addition, the impact is from fruit, stone and clarity, not from alcohol, wood or from winemaker strategic manipulation/enhancement.”
Or
“If you think “bargain” wine is devoid of potential pleasure or cannot be in the league of top-drawer entrants, guess again. This wine can easily compete with Sauvignon Blanc at 2-3 times the $ and many of its competitors are not as delicious to drink.”
Sometimes to keep prices low, he suggests buying 6 or 12 bottles or more which may seem like hype and hustle, but I think he is sincere and honest in his emphasis on offering value.
A maximum number of bottles a person may purchase is always listed, ranging from 6 to 60.
Pros:
Wildly eclectic selection not found elsewhere.
Excellent prices
Seeks out biodynamic and other green products.
Cons:
Complicated shipping procedures and delivery dates but only to assure wines arrive in fine condition.
Yes, 2015 is an excellent vintage for most of Bordeaux. I was there during the early harvesting.
The vine in the close-up photo is Merlot at Chateau Monbousquet a few days before the harvest. The best winemakers have sorting devices (often people) that remove the raisined grapes prior to fermentation, in case you were curious.
And yes, 90+ scores are so plentiful as reviewers went crazy when the wines were sampled early on. So there’s little meaningful guidance if you go by the scores.
My buying strategy is to prefer the 2015s from St. Emilion by a slight margin. The growing season favored Merlot which made St. Emilion and, of course, Pomerol, the hit of the year.
www.wine.com just announced its first big offering of the 2015s. No discounts but plenty of choices and shipping options. This is a major, well-established, and reliable seller. See my detailed review at http://www.bestonlinewineshopping.com
My focus, as always, is on wines that are authentic, true to their region, can be enjoyed over the next few years and represent excellent value.
My top 5 picks of 2015 Bordeaux under $35.00 at http://www.wine.com:
Chateau de France, Pessac $24.99
Château Haut Brisson, St. Emilion $31.99
Tour Saint Christophe, St. Emilion $34.99
Château Cantemerle, Haut Medoc $34.99
Château Fombrouge, St. Emilion $34.99
Rated 5 out of 5 in 4 of 5 main categories
Navarro could well be the granddaddy of all wine clubs. Still family owned and operated by Deborah Cahn and Ted Bennett, Navarro has been selling direct through its mailing list since 1974.
Over such a long run, the winery fine tuned the wine club program and in many ways wrote the book on how to make it work.
And, most important, these guys how to keep members’ loyalty over the years.
Almost all wines are sold direct from the winery, and with rare exception, they are not sold in wine stores. So the exclusive angle is strong.
First, the staff, many of whom have been there for many years, is extremely knowledgeable and attentive. They have first hand information about the winemaking and get involved in the evaluation and marketing of all wines.
Members are offered all wines before non members can buy them. This is a big plus.
Normally wines are pre-released in the Spring and in the Fall. Members are notified about new wines by mail or email, and either way, the information is cleverly presented in a personal, no baloney prose style.
Memberships remain active by purchasing a case a year. The choice is yours, but the winery also offers special case samplers around a theme like “Springtime Whites” or “Hearty Reds.” Typically, six different case samplers are offered.
Without question, the wines are of high quality as evidenced by the inordinate numbers of medals won each year. I’ve judged their wines on several occasions and they almost always steal the show.
The flagship wine is the high end Pinot Noir, “Methode a l’Ancienne.” closely followed by the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay.
But if you have never liked a Gewurztraminer or a dry Riesling, you owe it to yourself to try Navarro’s, each the best of the breed. My favorite is the Sauvignon Blanc.
But there are wide choices for members as the winery normally bottles 20 or so wines per year. There are 3 different Chardonnays and 3 Pinot Noirs as a rule.
And there is always something new going on…a new varietal to the roster, a new vineyard source, or a new technique.
Some wines are offered in half bottles and a few magnums are available.
Prices: range from $16 to $50 a bottle. There normally are 3 or 4 wines priced below $20 a bottle.
Discounts range from 20% to 25% for members
Twice a year timed with the Pre-Release events, the winery offers 1 cent shipping on each full case.
Special Events and Member Perks
Located in the remote town of Philo, the winery makes its facility open to members. Two Pre-Release events are held each year.
The picnic area is tranquil and lovely. Non alcoholic grape juice is available for kids to sample.
The family also owns the successful Pennyroyal cheese company, so often a selection of cheeses is available.
Best deal:
Pinot Blanc, new to the roster and far better than any Chardonnay below $20. A super everyday white!
The Anderson Valley Pinot Noir at $22 a bottle is a fantastic red wine deal.
When to buy. Wait for the window of one cent shipping and stock up.
When not to visit. Late afternoon on any Friday when tourists heading to the Mendocino Coast clog the tasting room and slam down the samples.
The Happy Family Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn
Aaron and Sarah Cahn Bennett
Address: 5601 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466, USA
Hours: · 8AM–6PM
Phone: +1 800-537-9463
Searching for Garagist Winemakers in Lodi and Paso Robles
“Garagiste” was a popular term not long ago to describe a crazy, passionate winemaker making small amounts of hand-made wines working within her or his garage-sized location.
Several appeared in and around St. Emilion in the 1990s to challenge the old guard, to oppose uniformity of style, and to add a highly personal signature to their wine.
My first encounter with such a wine was labeled “Le Dome” and only 200 cases were made a year. It was atypical and spectacular.
Winemaking for a St. Emilion garagiste was literally hands on and was minimalist because the winemaker had minimal equipment available.
With about 90% of California wine controlled by a dozen or so wine companies, and much of the wine on the market tasting the same, we need a few garagistes to shake things up.
But since they don’t have big bucks to build showcase wineries, they aren’t likely to be discovered by the big reviewers.
The regions where some garagistes may be working are in places like the Sierra Foothills, Lodi, and Paso Robles.
In fact, you could experience the 7th Annual Paso Robles Garagiste Festival from Nov 10-12 and meet 20 or so self-proclaimed garagistes.
But, by luck I recently found one that fits the description perfectly. Found him in a hole in the wall tasting room in Clarksburg. Open from Noon to 4:00 3 days a week, the tasting room is back in a far corner of the Old Sugar Mill facility.
Matt Powell is his name, and he makes wines from Lodi fruit under his
Draconis label. As he explained, he works out of rented space in another winery, and his goal is to make wines with subtlety and finesse from Lodi grown Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Syrah.
Only 100-150 cases of each wine is made annually which qualifies him as a garagiste. By studying winemaking in France’s Burgundy and applying that knowledge to Lodi grapes makes him a crazy, passionate, singular winemaker.
As for the wines, to someone who is not a big fan of Zinfandel, finding most to be one-dimensional and heavy-handed, Powell’s two versions are out of the ordinary.
His 2014 “French Style” Zinfandel, so named for being aged in French oak, was rich, unctuous, with subtle layers of oak spice and lively fruit. Harmonious!
The companion, named “Dark Style” Zinfandel, was rich and full flavored, but also a complete wine from beginning to end.
And to this big fan of Petite Sirah, Powell’s 2014 Draconis hits the bullseye. It is dark, mouth filling, round, with a long finish. Not a streak of hotness, not a rough edge anyway.
We also tasted a Draconis Viognier from Lodi that was close to stunning. Powell said it was about 16% alcohol, but somehow did not come across as that powerful. It was fragrant and full bodied.
The Zin and Petite sell for about $50 a bottle, not cheap by any means. You can purchase them at The Old Sugar Mill, 35265 Willow Avenue, Clarksburg, CA 95612.
You can buy them on the website which is, not surprisingly, poorly done and barely functional. Wines are available is 3,6 or 12 bottle allotments.
Discounts? Dont even ask.
The Wine Enthusiast magazine just released its Top 100 Wines under $15, and I found the list absolutely fascinating.
To its credit, the web page identifies those wines listed that are also sponsors, as in paid advertisers. So all is above board.
But can you trust the people behind the reviews?
Well, I happen to know several of them quite well. Two in particular are excellent tasters who cannot be compromised: Roger Voss and Jim Gordon.
The wines from Oregon and Washington State mentioned in this list are also chosen by another highly regarded critic.
Voss is the magazine’s expert reviewer of French wines from Bordeaux, Loire Valley, the Southwest as well as the best reviewer of wines from Portugal.
Gordon is the West Coast reviewer who can be trusted for his ratings of wines from Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa.
Back to the Top 100
The #1 wine was made by Columbia Crest. No big surprise there.
Its Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay make most top values lists.
But the top ranked wine turned out to be the winery’s 2015 Grand Estate Syrah at $12 which is also one of my discoveries.
Sad. Now, everyone will know and it will disappear quickly.
Bargain hunters can check out the entire list at
http://e.winemag.com/219S-154XX-706QMTTT8B/cr.aspx
To me, the following wines are the Other Awesome Deals under $15:
2014 Bogle “Essential Red,” Old Vine, Clarksburg (often sold under $10)
2016 Gnarly Head Zinfandel, Lodi
2016 San Pedro Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Chile
2015 Mas des Bressades Cuvée Tradition Syrah-Grenache (Costières de Nîmes)
2016 Cline Cellars Viognier, North Coast
2015 Château le Payral, Bergerac Rouge
2016 Foris Dry Gewürztraminer Rogue Valley
2014 Hogue Red Columbia Valley
2015 Wines & Winemakers Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas Red Douro
2016 Dry Creek Vineyards, Dry Chenin Blanc (Clarksburg)
2016 Domaine des Carteresses, Tavel (a Rose)
The Top Wines of 2016 Lists
As The Wine Spectator was unveiling the top 100 Best Wines in its drawn-out dramatic countdown, others were coming out with their versions. Just because the Spectator has been compiling a top 100 list for 30 years did not prevent others for having a say.
A few days before Randy Lewis of Lewis Cellars was revving his engine for a victory lap celebrating his 2013 Cabernet as the Spectator’s #1 wine, two competing internet sites got into the Best Of 2016 competition.
First, wine.com announced its list of top-selling 100 wines of 2016 and soon thereafter vivino.com came out with its list of” best wines on the planet.” For detailed and brilliant reviews of both sites, visit www.bestonlinewineshopping.com
This was the 10th year in which wine.com listed top wines of the year. It compiled a top 100 list based entirely on the top wines sold nationally on Wine.com during the first 11 months of 2016.
In a not too subtle way, it added: “While many publications rank wines based on the opinions of wine critics, we wanted our customers to be the judge, voting with their wallets to determine the Wine.com 100.”
Yes, critics offer opinions, pure and simple. Well, not always pure. But price, availability, and production are not considered when critics pass judgment.
However, quite a few online wine sellers rely on the Top 100 lists from The Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast or James Suckling. As an aside, it seems the influence of Robert Parker is definitely fading and the Vinous/Galloni duo has yet to rise to the occasion.
But vivino also does not rely too heavily on critics. With its wine Apps and crowd-sourcing approach, it bases its top wines of 2016 list on its community of 21 million users and the millions of wine ratings they’ve submitted over the past year.
In other words, reviews and scores from your average Joe and Jo, Betsy and Bob, Shawn and John. Some seem to have lots of time and many opinions; one guy named Jack has submitted close to 2,000 reviews.
For each wine style category, the folks at vivino explain, we “studied the reviews and selected the top ten best-rated wines with at least 50 ratings from the past year. Check out your favorite wine styles, and explore those you are curious about.”
As noted in my review, vivino loves to create categories of wines and wine styles and then compile lists.
For the 2016 results, the site came up with 147 separate categories. For red Bordeaux, there are 11 separate categories which seems excessive.
In the Best Rated category, the 2000 Chateau Margaux is #1 followed by the 1982 Latour. No surprises here! And the Best Wines to Buy Now is another very odd list of fabled names, including most of the Classified Growths including y’Quem.
Furthermore, vivino does not sell wines directly, so there’s no correlation between these community ratings and actual purchases which wine.com uses.
Apples and oranges you might say. Regardless, I tried to compare them.
First, the indisputable winner is Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Brancott’s 2015 was wine.com’s #1 and the 2015 Casa del Bosque headed vivino’s list of Top Values.
Almost as fascinating, Rombauer Winery makes wine.com’s top 10 with its 2014 Chardonnay, and the Rombauer Zinfandel is high on vivino’s Best Value list.
When it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Clos du Val and 2014 Caymus were among the best sellers on wine.com.
And the Hundred Acres Napa Valley Cabernet was #1 overall on vivino.com and rated high in its other categories.
Malbec fans might be excited to see that the 2012 Vina Cobos was tops with vivino and wine.com’s top ranked malbec was the Trivento 2015 reserve.
And this Champagne fan was intrigued to see Clicquot Brut as top rated at wine.com. Vivino’s high ranked non-vintage Champagne was the Jacques Selosse. Some 168 people reviewed it.Most people will never even see a bottle anywhere.
But to return to The Wine Spectator’s top 100 which had a few surprises. Great to see an Oregon Pinot Noir ranked #2 and the biggest surprise was the #3 wine, an Oregon Chardonnay. That was a gutsy call.
However,The Wine Spectator will invariably include a mandatory wine from Antinori in its top 100, as well as some wine from Jackson Family, and whenever remotely possible, a wine from itsother major supporters and advertisers.
Of the three top wines of 2016 lists, the one that stands out as speaking to me and the typical wine buyer is…wine.com.
And you?
1.e-Bay Wine added 38 new wines this week. Included were wines from several Jackson Family properties: Cambria, Freemark Abbey, La Crema, Kendall-Jackson and Champs du Reves. All except for Champ de Reves Anderson Valley Pinot Noir are widely available.
e-Bay also offered five new 6 or 12 bottle packages with a Thanksgiving theme. Grgich Hills outstanding Chardonnay was in most packs. Free shipping on all with discounts averaging 30%.
The case billed as “The Ultimate Thanksgiving” package featuring 6 varietals is high quality and a good value.
The most notable new wine offered by e-Bay is the 2014 Siduri Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, for $162.00 a case. This is a super deal for a delicious Pinot.
2. National Geographic Magazine introduced its “Wines of the World” sale through Travelzoo. The offering–an assorted case of either red or white wines, with 3 “free” Malbec bottles thrown in. This 15 bottle offer was priced at $89 with 6 free gift bags and shipping included.
The deal is that “Every three months, you will be notified about a new National Geographic Wines of the World club selection and will automatically receive your next case unless you request otherwise. There are no obligations, and you’re free to skip as many cases as you like or cancel your membership anytime at no cost.”
Deal or no Deal? Well, honestly, there was nothing in the wines listed that elevated this Wine Club over others. Still, $6 a bottle is a decent price for ordinary, everyday wines.
The Wall Street Journal wine club still offers the most exciting wine selection.
3. Biggest WOW!
went to www.napacabs.com
Despite the name this online store is based in southern CA where the owners also run a retail store, tasting room and restaurant.
It turned heads, not by its location but by offering two wines from Heidi Barrett’s own brand.
2013 La Sirena ‘Pirate TreasuRed’ $59.95
2013 La Sirena Grenache $39.95
The first is her super blend of 7 varieties, and like the limited production Grenache, plays to rave reviews. Both Napa wines from this exceptional winemaker are rarely available beyond the mailing list. Free shipping for a case, and you can mix and match.
4. Good to Know
“Americans are buying more wine than ever without going to a wine store. Direct-to-consumer sales increased 66 percent from 2010 to 2015, with 4.3 million cases valued at nearly $2 billion shipped directly from wineries to consumers last year.”
With Massachusetts, the nation’s seventh largest market for wine, open for direct shipping, 90% of the American population located in 42 states can with some limitations receive direct shipments of wine from bonded wineries.
ShipCompliant estimates that outside wineries will ship $73 million in wine to The Bay State by 2018, rising to nearly $105 million by 2023.
5. Silliest Wine Description Spotted this Week
As seen on www.wineaccess.com
“The Puig-Parahy 2011 Cotes du Roussillon Georges – a bit more Syrah than usual blended into its Carignan and Grenache – is intriguingly and delightfully scented with Ceylon tea, ripe elderberry and blueberry, accompanied by striking intimations of shrimp shell reduction in its combination of sweet-saline savor and tincture of iodine. A nutty, piquant, and positively vegetal note of Swiss chard adds to the stimulation of a juicy, vivacious, mouthwatering, and remarkably mineral palate presence and finish. Look for this extraordinary value to perform superbly at table through at least 2016. (The 2010 “Georges,” incidentally, had taken on a slightly reductive and animal aura when I tasted it form bottle but still exhibited the dynamic on which I commented in issue 195 and all-in-all performed at the lower end of the projection I published there.)” – David Schildknecht, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
6. From an interview with Michael Mondavi:
“The United States is the number one wine consumer in the world,” Mondavi says. “We have about three-hundred and fifteen million cases of wine a year that are consumed in the United States, and it’s growing nicely. It’s interesting, the lower priced wines – below $5 a bottle – are shrinking by about two to three percent a year. The wines from $5 to $10 dollars are growing slightly. But then, from $10 to $20, are growing just under double digits, they’re growing beautifully. So, people are trading up to better quality wines. And you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a delicious bottle of wine today.”
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 