Fine and Rare Selections

The Spirited Gourmet, being relatively new at 3yrs, and having started up during a time where there has been little demand for fine wines, does not boast a huge selection of fine wines. That said, we do have some very interesting fine wine selections, as well as some wines that are difficult to come by, suitable to the wine aficionado in your life, or, even better as a treat for yourself!

All of our offerings are organized by country and have been attractively priced.

France

2009 Domaine Beaurenard Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Cuvée Boisrenard’, Rhone, France –  $79.99

The “Boisrenard” is comprised of parcels of old vines 60-100 years in age, planted in soils of great character and complexity, provide the grapes for this wine. They are picked when fully mature and meticulously sorted by hand to further enhance concentration. Yields are very low: 15-20 hectoliters/hectare.

These old parcels, in which different varieties are planted together, embody the symphony of 13 varieties, though Grenache predominates.

The Boisrenard undergoes lengthy vatting and is aged in an entirely traditional way: no filtration or fining, then 18 months' ageing in oak barrels, bottling, and a spell of rest in our underground cellars.

“This powerful red offers a muscular core of roasted fig, blackberry and cassis fruit framed by thick, mesquite-tinged tannins, with loads of tobacco, pepper and tar coating the finish. Yet despite its power, this is racy and defined, with mouthwatering cut on the finish, where the mesquite note lingers. Ambitiously toasty, yet fully integrated. On par with the superb 2001 and 2005 vintages. Best from 2014 through 2024.” 96 points, JM, The Wine Spectator, Oct 2011

Grand Puy Lacoste ’05 Pauillac, Bordeaux, France - $99.99 net (was $125)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

“The brilliant 2005 Grand-Puy-Lacoste exhibits classic Pauillac aromas and flavors of creme de cassis along with stony/floral notes. Proprietor Xavier Borie has created a wine that should rival the brilliant 1982, 1990, 1996, and 2000. Full-bodied with sweet tannin and superb length (a 40+ second finish), the purity of this beauty’s black currant fruit is something to behold. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.” – 95 points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Domaine Fourrier 2007 Gevrey Chambertin “Clos St. Jacques” 1er Cru - $150 net (was $185)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

One of five owners in one of the great vineyard sites of Gevrey, arguably meriting grand cru status. These are the oldest vines of the domaine, 0.89 hectares planted down the length of the vineyard exactly 100 years ago. Intense, concentrated, lush wine with black fruit, a hint of game and a backbone built on its firm minerality; sweet tannins mark its exceptional length; a wine of vivid power and grace.

“The most aromatically complex wine to this point with seriously pretty earthy yet high-toned and cool red berry fruit aromas that offer subtle spice hints and a touch of underbrush that merge into elegant and very fine mineral-infused middle weight flavors that are rich, intense and possess solid mid-palate concentration. I very much like the poise this wine displays as it's harmonious, transparent and beautifully well-balanced. This is a beautiful combination of energy, balance and harmony. In short, this is a stunner. Sweet Spot—Outstanding!” BURGHOUND, Jan ‘09

“Bright deep red with ruby highlights. Knockout nose combines dark raspberry, smoked meat, minerals and crushed rock. Tactile and chewy as a solid yet almost magically light on its feet, with terrific definition and lift to the palate-staining red berry, smoke and floral flavors. This superbly ripe wine boasts an outstanding core of dense, sappy fruit. Finishes with great length.”  - 94 points, Stephen Tanzer- The International Wine Cellar

Italy

2006 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy - $99.99

“The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino flows with gorgeous layers of dark red fruit. This is one of the more muscular, virile wines of the vintage. Slow to reveal its character, the Valdicava Brunello will require significant patience, but I have seen the wine blossom beautifully, even in the smallest of vintages. A blast of iron, smoke, tar, licorice and new leather inform the deep, intense finish. This is a hugely promising, brilliant Brunello from proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese, but it needs to be buried in the cellar for at least a few years. Readers who can’t wait should open the wine a few hours in advance, which will allow the fruit to emerge. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.” – 95+ points, A. Galloni, Parker’s Wine Advocate

Bruno Giacosa ’04 Barbaresco ‘Santo Stefano’, Piedmont, Italy – $175 net (was $225)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

“…  a superb wine. Sweet, floral, mentholated aromatics meld into an expressive core of ripe fruit, with superb length and elegant tannins to round out the finish. Made in a more linear style than the Asili and Rabaja, it doesn't possess the expansiveness of those two wines, but it does reveal tremendous depth, harmony and balance. This pure, sweet, long Barbaresco is the best Santo Stefano in years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022” - 95 points, A. Galloni, Parker’s Wine Advocate

“Delivers subtle and focused aromas of crushed ripe strawberry, with hints of dried mushroom and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with big, juicy, velvety tannins and loads of ripe, sweet fruit. Needs time to come together. Voluptuous. Open. Best after 2011. 600 cases made.” – 93 points, James Suckling, The Wine Spectator

Roberto Voerzio 2004 Barolo ‘Cerequio’ - $200 net (was $250)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

"The 2004 Barolo Cerequio has been nothing short of profound on the four previous occasions I have tasted it and it is equally superb now that it is in bottle. It flows from the glass with a beautiful, pure expression of roses, flowers, sweet spices and ripe red fruit. This richly-textured, sumptuous Barolo literally shimmers with fruit from start to finish. The glorious, complete 2004 Cerequio is a superb effort from the inspired Roberto Voerzio. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.” – 97 points, A. Galloni – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocates

Bruno Giacosa ’04 Barolo ‘Castiglione Falletto’, Piedmont, Italy – $200 net (was $270)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

“Giacosa’s 2004 Barolo Falletto is so compelling it will be hard not to drink it in its youth. This gorgeous Barolo reveals a deeply structured frame layered with sweet dark fruit, mint, spice and pine. At once delicate and powerful, it is a beautifully finessed wine that is sure to provide much pleasure. A recent bottle of the 1982 is a testament to the virtues of this great site as interpreted by Bruno Giacosa. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024” - 96 points, A. Galloni, Parker’s Wine Advocate

“A delicate wine, with intense aromas and some strawberry, citrus fruit and cherry character. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, beautiful finish. Very pretty. All in balance and refinement. Best after 2010.” – 92 points, James Suckling, The Wine Spectator

“… another wine for connoisseurs is Barolo Falletto 2004, surprisingly drinkable despite its power, and a classic Serralunga Barolo for the cellar.  The Three Glasses were never in doubt.” – Tre Bicchieri Winner, Gambero Rosso

Spain and Portugal

2008 Clos Erasmus Priorat, Spain – $175 net (was $215)

Clos Erasmus was born in an afternoon with the purchase of some old vines of Garnacha by Daphne Glorian, who happened to be in the area visiting some friends. Although she had no intention of purchasing such a plot or starting a winery, her friends (Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier) convinced her that amazing wines could be produced here if given the right attention. They were right.

The wine was named after the philosopher Erasmus von Rotterdam as an allusion to his essay “In Praise of Folly” and an answer to all who dubbed the enterprise pure madness. What started as a “fun” project soon became a very serious endeavor as the Priorat earned a fame that surprised all of the growers by the rapidity of its ascent. Clos Erasmus is now considered one of the benchmarks of the region and has received consecutive 100 Point scores from the Wine Advocate, the only wine of Spain to ever achieve such critical praise

“Always a benchmark against which all other Priorats must be measured, the 2008 Clos Erasmus is a great success. It consists of 80% Garnacha, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 22 months in new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color with an already complex bouquet of mineral, pain grille, Asian spices, tar, tapenade, and black cherry, on the palate it is dense, rich, and full-bodied with an elegance belying its size. Layered and opulent, it conceals enough structure to evolve for 6-8 years. It will deliver a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2028, perhaps longer. It is a true tour de force!” – 99 points, J. Miller, Parker’s Wine Advocate, Issue #194, May 2011

2009 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional, Douro, Portugal - $84.99 (Very limited)

Depending on the year, a small amount of wine from one of the principal Douro grape varieties, Touriga Nacional, may be kept aside to be aged in cask and bottled separately as a single varietal wine. These are top quality wines but not produced every year. The Touriga Nacional 2001 and 2004 production had 96 points on Wine Spectator.

Grapes come from the best Touriga Nacional Blocks, are hand picked and transported to the winery in small 25 kg plastic crates. Prior to destemming they areput on a conveyor belt in order to carefully select the best quality fruit for the fermentation. The fermentation is carried out in open plunging tanks along with a number of specially designed fermentation vessels which enhance the mouth feel of the wine. Near completion of primary fermentation the skins are pressed with a basket press in order to extract soft tannins from the skins with all pressing combined with the free run.

“The 2009 Touriga Nacional has a lot of “wow” factor at the moment – it seems lavishly oaked on opening and in its youth, a blueberry/vanilla concoction that was sweet, sexy and flamboyant. It has reasonably well integrated tannins, but they are there and they do assert themselves. In a fairly disjointed state on opening, this gradually changed, integrating a lot of its oak (but nowhere near all and not enough), showing more backbone and a little astringency and becoming wine, not just a sweet concoction. That said, it shows considerable potential, but it needs to absorb that oak and show more of its grape, character and terroir, too. I had some evidence it would, but let’s be a little conservative here. Stick this in the cellar for a couple of years, even if it is approachable earlier. I think it will eventually show far better. Drink 2013-2022.”
– 92 points, M. Squires, Parker’s Wine Advocate, Issue #198, Dec 2011

Austria and Germany

Robert Weil 2008 Riesling Qualitätswein Trocken Rheingau Kiedrich Gräfenberg Erstes Gewächs - $70 net (was $90)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

“An alluring dry Riesling that combines power and delicacy. Floral, spice, apple, peach and citrus notes are interwoven with the silky texture, all buoyed by its vibrant structure. This builds on the palate to a long, lingering aftertaste of apple and spice. Drink now through 2018.” – 94 points, Wine Spectator

"Once again, Weingut Robert Weil received the top ranking of five "grape clusters " (category denoting "world’s best wine producers "). Quote: "Scarcely a handful of wine estates in Germany can claim to have château character. The Kiedrich estate Weingut Robert Weil probably comes closest. The house philosophy practiced here is similar to that of the noble Châteaux in the southwest of France. The personable estate director, Wilhelm Weil, has succeeded in transforming this estate into a shining symbol of German Riesling culture at home and in important export markets. "  November 2009 Gault

2000 Brundlmayer Ried Loiser Berg Grüner Veltliner Trockenbeerenauslese, Kamptal, Austria
$70 net (was $89.99)

“Gorgeous. Very tasty, this glides effortlessly across the palate, unraveling its honey, apricot, quince and smoke flavors. Intense and ethereal on a gossamer, lightweight frame!” – 93 points, B. Sanderson, The Wine Spectator, April 2003

Domestic

2007 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa, CA - $89.99

"The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve reveals a more opaque blue/purple color in addition to gorgeous aromas of spring flowers, blueberries, boysenberries, and hints of licorice and background oak. It cuts a broader, richer, full-bodied swath across the palate with no hard edges. Full and layered, this seamless beauty is further evidence of just how great as well as consistent the 2007 vintage is for this varietal in Napa Valley. Drink it over the next 15-20 years." 95 points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

2008 K Vintners Royal City Syrah, Charles Smith, Washington - $175

"The 2008 Royal City Syrah was sourced from the Stoneridge Vineyard. It displays a soaring perfume of sandalwood, garrigue, lavender, smoke, bacon, game, blueberry, and black raspberry. Super-concentrated, it deftly marries power and elegance in a seamless wine that should see its 20th birthday in peak form." 99 points, Jay Miller, the Wine Advocate

"Savory, with layers and layers of flavor on a deftly balanced frame. The velvety style emphasizes black olive, green olive and roasted meat flavors around a subterranean core of blackberry, tar and spice. The finish rolls along unimpeded by polished tannins. Drink now through 2018." 96 points, H.S., The Wine Spectator

Ridge 2006 Montebello, Santa Cruz Estate, California - $115 net (was $140)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

“… the 2006 Monte Bello (68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc) is a very strong effort. Its dense purple color is followed by copious aromas of creme de cassis, licorice, spice box, and a touch of oak. Well-balanced, dense, pure, layered, and rich, its big, rich style is similar to the 2003. This cuvee should keep for 25-30 years in a cool cellar.” – 94+ points, Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate

“Ridge’s iconic Monte Bello Proprietary Red (no longer called Cabernet Sauvignon) is one of the candidates for the longest-lived Bordeaux blend made in California. Even vintages from the late sixties and early seventies are still vibrant wines. The winery owns just over 100 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and production varies enormously based on the mountain climate. With respect to this group of wines, the smallest yields were achieved in 2005, and the highest in 2007. The selection process here is relatively severe. For their Monte Bello, the flagship wine, 32% of the production was used in 2003, 38% in 2004, 49% in 2005, 39% in 2006, and 41% in 2007. These wines continue to be anomalies in the sense that the Cabernet Sauvignon component is aged in American oak, a somewhat contrarian procedure since most top producers long ago moved to French oak..”   - Robert Parker

Other New World

Rusden ’04 “Black Guts” Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia, - $80 (was $100)
Single Bottle Quantities Only

“Rusden’s flagship is the 2004 Shiraz “Black Guts,” sourced from a vineyard planted in 1959. It was aged for 30 months in barrel, 10% new American, 25% new French, with the balance used French. Purple-colored (but not as saturated as many of its Barossa peers), it delivers a stunning perfume of mineral, gunpowder, roasted meat, blueberry, and chocolate. This is followed by a full-bodied, velvety-textured Shiraz with gobs of layered fruit, terrific intensity and balance, and a very long finish. It will develop for 6-8 years and drink well through 2025.” – 97 points, Jay Miller, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate