OCTOBER CASE OF THE MONTH - $140

Tre Donne Langhe Nebbiolo 2021
A stunning value at this discounted price, here’s another deal that we scored when a Midwest distributor closed and couldn’t take their order. Run by the three Lequio sisters since 1988 and now helped by a new generation of donne (their daughters), the winery is in Barbaresco and the fruit here comes from low-yielding older vines farmed organically. 2021 was a terrific vintage in Piedmont and stylistically this lands in that Goldilocks zone, a near perfect balance of generosity and structural tension that delivers complex classic Nebbiolo flavors. The texture is lightly sappy yet taut with an underlying energetic power as tarry, rosy, peppery aromas color the supple black cherry fruit, finishing with darker plum and amaro-like spices. Tasting every bit worthy of its $30 regular price, it’s even better at just $15.99.  

Notre Dame de Pallières Sablet 2023
Back by popular demand, this was in the April newsletter but quickly sold out. Given one more crack at a lower price bulk buy, we couldn’t resist. Sablet is a neighboring village of Gigondas and offers a similar charming rusticity and hearty pepper-tinged dark fruit. This marries silky fine-grained texture to a gently rumbling powerhouse of fruit, as ripe blackberry and wild strawberry flavors envelope the palate with notes of camphor, dark chocolate and wild thyme on the substantial finish. 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. $15.99

Corvidae Wine Company Lenore Syrah Columbia Valley 2019
Made by Owen Roe and sporting a few years of bottle age, this NW Syrah takes a few minutes to wake up but once it does it’s a wild ride. The core of fruit is dark and meaty – a mix of macerated blackberry, cherry liqueur and dried blueberry – and the supporting cast of flavors are brushed in a similarly dark hue. Cracked pepper, scorched stone and licorice mingle with toasted maple graham cracker and cola, with a hint of brighter floral violet and cranberry escaping the black hole vacuum. All in all, it’s appropriately flavored for its macabre poetic inspiration. $13.99 

Altano Douro White 2024
The enthusiasm for Dow’s Bomfim Douro White in July’s case suggested we should try to find more like it, so here we go. Altano is owned by the Symington family, one of the most respected names in region. A blend of 50% Malvasia Fina, 25% Viosinho, 15% Moscatel Galego Branco and 10% Arinto, it offers an electric personality with a range of bouncy flavors that somehow remain balanced and integrated. Its lemon-lime refreshing crispness cuts through the floral orange perfume and the underpinning of minerality adds focus to the rolling smooth texture. Add in notes of white pepper, fresh thyme, sea salt, white peach and dried pineapple and you’ve got quite the party going, a fond farewell to summer weather. $11.99

Palamà Archangelo Negroamaro 2022
A longtime shop favorite, we haven’t featured this for a while and this vintage is drinking great – tender and juicy with a great balance of rich fruit and refreshing acidity. It’s always fleshy and generous thanks to that southern Italian sun but as the new generation takes over the Palamà wines overall seem to be getting a little prettier and more elegant, no easy feat in the hot Puglia region. The fruit leans red, cherry and plum, with a thread of fine ground pepper and sun-warmed Mediterranean herbs woven throughout. $13.99

Santa Julia Tempranillo Mendoza 2024
If you want to taste how much of a chameleon Tempranillo can be dive into this high-spirited organic version from Argentina. With a buoyant, puppy dog-friendly personality, a rush of lush boysenberry fruit and a near sultry texture, this is one of the more come-hither Tempranillo we’ve enjoyed lately. A darker-toned woodsy edginess near the finish suggests a kinship to Spanish Tempranillo but in the end, the thyme/tangerine-scented, wild-energy fruitiness is proudly its own thing. $12.50

Bodegas San Valero Garnacha & Cariñena 2022 
A new vintage of this red-fruited crowd-pleaser from Spain’s Aragon region, this 50/50 blend is fragrant and inviting, with a creamy texture and a cheery, lively personality. Sun-warmed Mediterranean herbs mingle aromatically with toasted brown spices, perfuming the broad wash of strawberry and cherry fruit before finishing bright and crisp. $12.99

Château Freynelle Bordeaux Blanc 2024
Located in the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers region, Freynelle is run by 7th generation winemaker Veronique Barthe who inherited the estate when she was just 22. This youthful 2024 offers a vibrant yet balanced profile with the breezy refreshing charm of a summer white melded to a richer, textured body perfect for cooler weather. Flavors of gooseberry and lime zest alternate with white peach and melon, its caressing softness enlivened by a thread of lemony acidity. $12.50

Domaine des Schistes Illico Rouge Côtes Catalanes 2022
Medium-weight and somewhat Pinot Noir-like, this red from the French/Spanish border sports an uncommonly high percentage of Cinsault (60%) giving it an aromatically expressive nose and supple, fine-boned texture. Floral violet, black tea and a potpourri-like spiciness leads to nuggets of dried currant and blueberry with dustings of white pepper on the crisp finish. A late-summery red for those lingering warm evenings. $13.99 

L'Isola dei Profumi Rosso Siciliane 2022 
A consistent value favorite, this medium-bodied red from Sicily marries the dark power of Nero d'Avola to the more fragrant brighter feel of Perricone, a local varietal that we rarely see. Floral dried oregano and orange peel aromatics lead to bright pie cherry, raspberry and plum before darkening midpalate, the fruit laced delicately with wisps of cracked pepper, cured tobacco and dusty barnyard. $11.99

Quinta das Amoras Tinto 2022
Another great value from the Lisbon area this is plump and gently mouthfilling with rolling flavors of dusty ripe blackberry, zesty raspberry, cocoa powder and cinnamon bark. Dark and rich enough to stand up to the coming cooler weather, but its airy, easy-going feel makes it a versatile pick for a variety of dishes. $10.99

Cline Viognier Mendocino County 2024
Clean, expressive and unmistakably Viognier, this revels in its ample texture and flashy style. Floral orange blossom, crystalized lemon and delicate honeysuckle aromas lead to tropical notes of dried pineapple, papaya and honeydew, playfully exotic flavors that sail along on a wave of mandarin acidity. $12.50

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