OCTOBER CASE OF THE MONTH - $145

Bocelli Terre di Sandro Toscana 2015
Last November we offered this ten-year-old Super Tuscan for $26, down from $75 after the importer discovered it in a warehouse. Excited by such an incredible opportunity, we thought we bought all of it. Imagine our shock when the importer recently offered more – one final load at an unbelievably low, take-all price. It’s still drinking beautifully – at a Friday night tasting in May it was the hit of the night.

100% old vine Sangiovese from the ancestral family estate of beloved tenor Andreas Bocelli, this is the estate’s flagship wine, named after their father, and meant to showcase the traditional flavors of Tuscany in a refined yet powerful style. Ten years from harvest this is an elegant beauty, aging gracefully, with gorgeous aromatics and a silky supple texture. Bright cherry mingles with the perfume of early summer roses, blond tobacco and black tea with creamy oak notes and plush, fruit-encased tannins on the finish. And yes, this still comes in a handsome 6-pack wooden hinged box. Originally $75 (!), enjoy the crazy low price of $16.99.

Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast 2019
Here’s another unexpected October gift, a half-price deal on a nicely aged Cab from one of Merryvale’s star properties. Showcasing the winery’s longtime traditional Bordeaux-inspired style, this opens with loamy savory aromatics, a complicated mix of sage, orange peel, cedar and freshly turned earth. The palate offers a saturated core of fruit, toothsome and vinous, with integrated flavors of red currant, black cherry and macerated plum rolling slowly toward the soft-tannin finish. Originally $30, now just $14.99. 

Altano Douro Tinto 2022
A savvy customer recently asked “will you ever get again that great Douro red from last December’s case?” Yes! And much to our surprise, it’s the same great vintage that sold out too quickly last year after landing on the Wine Spectator Top 100 at #48. Showing a sophistication uncommon to Douro reds in this price range, it’s well deserving of its 90 pt review: “A lively, well-spiced red, with an appealing mix of brambly boysenberry, cherry, violet and blood orange peel flavors sculpted by light, taut tannins, ending with a minerally finish. Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca.” $13.50 

Pajzos Dry Furmint ‘T’ 2024
Furmint is the main white varietal in Tokaji, Hungary, a region famous for its luscious dessert wines and the dry versions can be captivating as well. This one has been a stealth favorite over the years and the newly arrived 2024 is as good as remembered. The nose is spicy with hints of ginger, cumin and a faint flinty smokiness while the Asian pear and spiced apple cider flavors run smooth and mellow balanced by an undercurrent of tangy orange zest. A light autumnal earthiness lingers on the finish making it a nice pick for the season. $13.99

Isle Saint Pierre Mediterranean Rouge 2023
If you’re still pining for summer now that it’s fall, this island wine may conjure fond memories. Located on an island in the Rhône River fifteen kilometers from the Mediterranean, the winery of the same name hosts hundreds of grazing sheep and an unexpected Bordeaux varietal mix; apparently Grenache, Syrah, etc. did not fare well in the sandy, silty soil. 20% each Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Carmenère and Arinarona (a Petit Verdot/Carmenère hybrid), this tastes like neither Bordeaux nor Rhône but is curiously delicious all the same. Medium-bodied with a tangy, purple-y nose and a breezy summery feel, the flavors are saturated yet airy, a lively mash up of just-ripe blueberry, boysenberry, lemon-spiked black tea, floral fresh thyme and dried oregano. $12.99

Rippa Dorii Ribera del Duero Crianza 2020
This 100% Tempranillo is a sibling of the popular unoaked Rippa Dorii Roble that was in the case last June. Crianza refers to oak aging, in this case 12 months in French and American oak, lending this more power and body, which is nice as we head into cooler weather. Dark in color and feel, the black cherry and late summer blueberry flavors are accented by warm-toned notes of incense, cedar shavings and hickory smoke, all embedded in a fullish, creamy texture. Like the Roble, this delivers quite a lot for just $14.99.  

Bodega Calle Dharma Reserva Mendoza 2022
A big flash-deal hit last March, the importer was able to get more of this discounted gem – a biodynamically farmed 60/40 Malbec/Cabernet Franc blend that totally overdelivers at it’s lower price. Opening with aromas of sweet dark cherry and red currant, the fruit shifts to darker blackberry and plum on the palate, backed by subtle Cab Franc signature notes of mint, green tea and peppercorn. The texture is pillowy and flowing, yet dense with supple tannins rounding out the finish. Normally $22+, here just $11.99.

Cantina del Morellino Cala Civetta Vermentino Toscana 2025
The white varietal Vermentino seems to be having a moment these days and after a glass of this coastal Tuscan example you can see why. Its stony, crunchy core is padded with a cushion of supple fruit that allows a range of flavors to slowly unfurl as they meander toward the long tail of a finish. Aromas of white pepper and green herb mingle with fresh lemon and orange while the palate delivers light pear, almond and shortbread-y brown spice. Dry and crisp yet ample, this offers multiple personalities all in the same bottle. $15.99 

Sagemoor Estate Red Blend Columbia Valley 2022
Another blowout deal from Washington’s Sagemoor winery, this time a Merlot-dominated red blend that offers an appropriately autumnal feel with woodsy minty aromas coloring the dark cherry and plummy fruit. Modeled on right bank Bordeaux this is medium-bodied and fresh, delivering an appealing balance of fruit, tannin and earthy spice. More serious than its lower price suggests, this should shine with the richer dishes of the season. Normally around $25, end-of-vintage closeout deal makes it just $12.99.

Podere Barbi Qui Pro Quo Umbria Rosso 2023
A 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano from vineyards around Orvieto, this is a quintessential “Italian Red”. The flavors run dark – deep black cherry, blackberry and an afternoon Italian espresso – but a vein of boysenberry tangy acidity keeps it lively, juicy and versatile. A satisfying tug of tannin on the finish calls out for salumi or your favorite pizza. $13.9

Château d'Oupia Les Hérétiques Rouge 2024
It's been a while since we tasted this rock-solid Languedoc red and the 2024 is just as good as remembered. And happily, the price is the same as it was three years ago so bonus value! A Syrah-heavy blend that also includes Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, the average vine age is 40 years old, with some of them being over 100, awfully impressive for a wine this inexpensive. Boasting deep, dark blue/black fruit flavors and a full-bodied texture it offers the sun-drenched richness of the Languedoc married to the polish of good winemaking. Smooth on top with a welcome light grippy feel below, the fine dusting of black pepper adds kick to the tangy, red-fruited finish. $12.99

Marqués de Cáceres Rueda 2025
100% Verdejo that is harvested at night to preserve freshness and acidity, this is deliciously bouncy and buoyant in the mouth. Plush white peach and floral ripe pear are balanced by sharper notes of tangy kiwi and grapefruit zest, energetic opposites that provide a baseline of acidity to propel the flavors forward. Hats off to Marqués de Cáceres and the importer for delivering something so enjoyable for a mere $9.99.

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