$75 - $100 Wine

Winemaker Description 

This Amontillado Sherry is a blend of several casks from criaderas housed at a highly respected bodega with roots in the late 1800s. 

Winemaker Description 

Has a peachy nose and a mellow palate, round and gentle with hints of orange peel, nuts and varnish. It could be around 20 years of age, so it's not a super old wine. It's approachable, super clean and defined and a textbook example of the category. This has 19% alcohol.

Expert Review

Josh Raynolds of Vinous writes 94 Points | Shimmering ruby. Smoke- and mineral-accented cherry and black raspberry aromas are complemented by suggestions of botanical herbs, violet, smoked meat and cracked pepper. Lithe and gently chewy in texture, offering appealingly sweet, spice-tinged dark berry, kirsch and floral pastille flavors that are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. The spice carries through an impressively long, penetrating finish that shows fine clarity and slowly emerging tannins.  Drinking 2025 - 2033 

Winemaker Description

This shows plenty of currant character, blueberry compote and tar, as well as savory undertones. Medium-bodied with resolved tannins and a round finish. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | Tangy green apple and mineral intensity is tempered by richer golden apple and baking spice flavors in this nervy, well balanced, light-bodied wine. Tastes refreshing and mouthwatering.

Winemaker Description 

The balance of texture and freshness seen in the 2020 Quartz Creek is rare in Chardonnay. This harmony allows for versatility at the table

The vibrancy of fresh citrus on the palate is outstanding with chilled seafood like dungeness crab and razor clams. Still, there is enough texture and savory characteristics to pair with classic chicken marsala. 

Winemaker Description

Franck Balthazar is yet another tiny domaine in the region whose wines have become highly sought-after over the last decade; worldwide demand now far exceeds production. Predictably, market prices reflect this growth. Balthazar is a fastidious farmer and careful winemaker, which has earned him tremendous respect from his neighbors on the Cornas hill. All whole clusters are used here, no new oak, and as little sulfur as possible. If you ever encounter the unsulfured “Sans Soufre” Cornas bottlings in France, especially at any restaurants in the area, jump on them, as they are amazing but generally don’t hold up to extended shipping journeys. It’s a very strong case for the “drink local” argument. The 2020s have turned out fantastic.

Expert Review

Vinous 97 Points | Dark magenta. Highly perfumed, mineral-accented red and dark berry liqueur, candied violet, smoky bacon and Moroccan spice qualities on the nose, along with olive and black pepper nuances. Offers vibrant, palate-staining and spice-laced cassis, bitter cherry, floral pastille and smoky mineral flavors that show impressive depth and a bracing undercurrent of juicy acidity. Expands steadily with air and finishes wonderfully long and gently chewy, with polished tannins, resonating spice and floral notes.  Drinking 2026 - 2034/

Expert Reviews 

Winemaker Description 

Century-old, pre-phylloxera, ungrafted vines planted on a blue slate hillside of dizzying steepness renders a wine that’s nothing short of profound. It offers intense flavor, integrated juiciness, sensuous texture and extraordinary length and intricacy with guaranteed potential for long maturation.

Gernot Kollmann started his career at the Immich Batterieberg winery in 2009. Since then he has led the house to new successes. Connoisseurs are fascinated by the house wines because they reflect the Moselle and especially the Riesling in an intensive and individual way.

The Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling brings sweet and tart pleasure into the glass. Enchanting herbal bouquet Its bright straw-yellow dress suits the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling admirably. Spicy flint and dried herbs inspire in the bouquet. Here the Riesling flatters the nose in a clear and light way. Ripe plate peach, a hint of citrus zest and apple blossom find their way into the aromatic spectacle.

The Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling on the palate The mineral-fruity nose of the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling is followed by a full-bodied and crystal-clear pleasure on the palate. The dried garden herbs and the spicy slate combine on the tongue with apple compote and juicy peach wedges. Balsamic accents and a sinewy body give the wine a lot of elegance, even in the long finish. The fruit of the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling is pleasantly restrained and leaves plenty of room for spicy and mineral notes.

For this reason, the Riesling is ideal as an accompaniment for the exclusive kitchen on special occasions. Baked veal cheeks on risotto, steamed zander and grilled trout welcome him with joy at their side. Gernot Kollmann creates a fine Riesling from a steep site.

For the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling, the winemaker chooses particularly long-grown vines with deep roots. The plants have been growing on the blue slate soil for more than eighty years. The Ellergrub site is known for exceptionally elegant wine.

The Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling does not disappoint either. Gernot Kollmann ferments the wine with great patience and calm. Under his hands, the Riesling unfolds its natural potential and absorbs the terroir around the steep slate slope. Great enjoyment from a great location.