4th of July Independence Day Sale | sale end July 6

Winemaker Description 

Alain Chavy produces restrained, structured, and long-lived white Burgundies from 17 acres of vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, with small holdings in the neighboring villages of Chassagne and Meursault. Alain established Domaine Alain Chavy in 2003 with vineyards inherited from his father and includes some of Puligny's top premier crus. 

The Alain Chavy Bourgogne Chardonnay 2022 features a bouquet of green apple, citrus, and subtle floral notes, with hints of toasted almonds and minerality. On the palate, it is crisp and well-balanced, offering flavors of lemon, pear, and a touch of honey, complemented by a firm acidity and a taut, fresh character. The finish is clean and refreshing, with lingering citrus and mineral notes.

This Chardonnay pairs beautifully with seafood dishes, roasted chicken, creamy pastas, and soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert.

Critic Notes

Georgina Hindle of Decanter writes 93 Points | A nuanced nose, lots going on, sweet spice, perfume and bramble fruits. Chewy, this is round and plump - opulent but then so precise on the palate with real tension. Cooling blue fruits and liquorice, it's the cool freshness that really gives this life. Yes, the tannins are abundant and mouth coating but they're soft and fine and this has great execution. You can feel the intensity but it's carried very well. A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.  Drinking 2023 - 2035. (2019). 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 90 Points | The 2019 Bel-Air Jean & Gabriel is impeccable. Soft, creamy and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2019 is especially fine for Lussac, where the wines are rarely this polished. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice and dark spice build over time. There is a bit of grip on the finish, but also more than enough fruit to make it all work. (2019). 

Jane Anson writes:  Firm berry fruits, clear austerity on the tannins, set against highly charged smoked oak notes. An enjoyable wine from Lussac, well made and carefully handled.  Drinking 2022 - 2032  - Decanter

Expert Review 

Wine Enthusiast 90 Points | Soy sauce, olive brine, peat, honey, oloroso Sherry, brewer's yeast, bread dough, barley malt and cigar smoke in the bouquet. The flavor that magically includes the innate intense peatiness of Islay malts and the masterly employment of oak barrels phase defines "classy Islay.? Concludes sweetly, without sacrificing the tangy, astringent peatiness that is inherent. Gorgeous.

Enjoy reading this review of Laguvulin 16 year old written by Margarett Waterbury - TheWhiskeyWash.com

Tasting Notes:

Lagavulin 16-Year-Old is satisfying in a way that many other things are not. You might not like it, but if you enjoy whisky, it is essential for you to buy a bottle of Lagavulin 16, and drink it. It might take you the rest of your life, but it’s important.

Appearance:  A deep, dusky amber.

Nose:  Oh, geez. There’s peat, first of all, a big, pungent whack of it, laced with smoked fish and driftwood and salty rocks. But underneath that, there’s a great big ocean of sweet, caramelized malt, all baked apples and cobbler crust. Plenty of industrial character, too—soot, rubber, hot electrical equipment, and that magical, grimy petrichor of a dirty urban sidewalk after a summer’s rain.

Palate:  You know that saying “turns to ashes in your mouth?” This is like the opposite. At first, it’s like a mouthful of recently extinguished ashes—charred, powdery, astringent—but then a lush, maritime garden quickly comes into Technicolor focus. Basically, Lagavulin 16 tastes just like a real boat: varnish, diesel, salty nets, ocean spray, and the sticky lanolin-rich smell of a thick wool sweater a hardworking man has been wearing one too many days in a row. Over several minutes in the glass, ghosts of fruit emerge—orange and red cherry, mostly—but never seem to break through the low-hanging haze. That’s alright – a suggestion is enough.

When people talk about Scotch whisky, maritime imagery comes up a lot. So let’s start with a beach metaphor.

Wonderful Glenmorangie is like visiting a beach in San Diego. It’s great! It’s 85 degrees, it’s sunny, the water is warm, and everybody’s having a fantastic time. Lagavulin is like a visit to the Oregon Coast. Describe the experience objectively—it’s cold, it’s grey, it’s rainy, there’s not much to do and certainly no place to swim without a dry suit or a death wish—and some might wonder why bother going at all. To others, there’s nowhere else in the world they’d rather be.

Sunny beaches are terrific. But sometimes you need an experience with a little more grit, something that reflects the grimy, complex, trying, sometimes objectively bad experience of real life. For times like that, there’s Lagavulin. It’s peaty, medicinal, pungent, smoky, a Band-aid factory in the throes of catastrophic meltdown, and when you really need it, nothing else will do.

Critic Notes

90 Points James Suckling | Fresh, simple aromas of nectarines, chalk and touches of sour cream and lees. Medium-bodied with creamy fruit and a lightly saline finish.

Winemaker Notes

The 2023 St. Michael-Eppan Pinot Grigio is a straw yellow with glints of green. On the nose, fruity aromas of ripe pear and apple. Soft, refined and elegant on the palate.

The uncomplicated aperitif wine is often drunk at trendy parties andscene events. Combines perfectly with baked curd praline on tomatocarpaccio.

Winemaker Description

Our Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc is ripe and intense with tropical notes of guava and passionfruit that lead to a lively finish. 

Winemaker Description 

This light-bodied, refreshing Pinot Grigio Colombard has crisp acidity with bright citrus notes with hints of pineapple and pear. Pair with grilled chicken or fresh seafood. 

Winemaker Description

From the most beautiful locations in the Kremstal. Fragrance reminiscent of gooseberries and cassis leaves, also herbs; juicy, fresh fruit, pinch of herbs, straightforward, uncomplicated drinking fun.

The merest touch of flinty reduction dissipates as you take the first sniff. Underneath that there is a hint of freshness, but it is only on the palate that the intensity of the yeasty concentration becomes apparent. A juicy tone of Mirabelle also arises, making for a wonderful and compelling combination.

Expert Review

Peter Moser writes:  Light yellow green colour with silver reflections. Delicate floral notes with white orchard fruit nuances in the background, a hint of lime and tangerine zest. Juicy, elegant, fine fruitiness, finesse-rich acidity, salty finish, makes you want a second glass.  Falstaff Magazine 92

Producer Description 

Aromas of citrus, caramel, butter, cooked agave, and sage are the beginning of a pleasingly balanced and very unique tasting experience. Fortaleza Reposado has it’s own distinct character, and is not like any other tequila. Flavors include cooked agave, citrus, vanilla, apple, earth, and cinnamon.

The finish is long and rich, delicately spicy, and it has an oily texture that make this a joy to drink. You simply cannot go wrong with Fortaleza Reposado. It’s popular with beginners and experienced tequila drinkers alike.

Our Professional Review 

Debra 67Wine.com | Montenidoli is a mountain above the appellation of San Gimignano.  A noble and elegant expression of Vernaccia San Gimignano from this historic estate. This wine is certified organic, aged in stainless steel and macerates on the skins for about 7 days. It has nice complexity , light-medium bodied, energetic, vibrant with a nice texture.  Fresh, pure, with flavors of stone fruits ,  orange zest and blanched almonds and a nice lingering finish.  Pair with seafood, pasta and vegetables or  simply with cheeses. Debra, Italy white wine Buyer

Winemaker Description 

Producer Description 

A good mixing vodka, with hints of vanilla and cream. Vodka is a chameleon and blends seamlessly with just about anything. This is no accident: While there are no universal rules for producing the spirit, the final product is supposed to be colorless, odorless and tasteless.A good mixing vodka, with hints of vanilla and cream. Vodka is a chameleon and blends seamlessly with just about anything. This is no accident: While there are no universal rules for producing the spirit, the final product is supposed to be colorless, odorless and tasteless.

Winemaker Description

The 2022 California Unoaked Chardonnay has aromas of pear, sweet-tart apple and mango with notes of citrus and honeysuckle. On the palate, the wine opens with bright fruit flavors, followed by crisp minerality on the mid-palate and a long, clean balanced finish.

Expert Review

Falstaff 90 Points | Medium yellow-green, silver shimmers. Scents of fine yellow apple fruit, some passion fruit, orange zest and meadow herbs. On the palate, medium body, fresh and lively, fine white tropical fruit nuances, lemony aftertaste, already easy to drink.

Winemaker Description 

The Etz estate consists of 30 hectares of vineyards in the Kamptal region of Austria, and are known for producing exceptional Grüner Veltliner. Franz Etz, the proprietor of the estate, gained international recognition when he bested 600 other Grüner Veltliners in a blind tasting competition by 14 of the world's top sommeliers. After, he created a special one-liter bottling of his fruit, called Grüner, for the U.S. market.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 90 Points | A prototypical unoaked white Macon that’s simultaneously fresh and creamy on the medium-bodied palate, with plenty of crisp pear and touches of acacia blossoms and fresh pineapple. Very clean and animating finish that pulls you back for more.

Winemaker Description 

A classic Vinho Verde; light and fruity, with some nice peach and green apple flavors and a slight spritziness. The perfect, uncomplicated quaff.  

Winemaker Description 

To impart highlights of vanilla, caramel and nutmeg, Ron barrel fermented and aged 70 percent of the Chardonnay in French and American oak barrels (20 percent new) for eight months. Fermenting the remainder in stainless steel maintained a bright, fresh fruit balance. The resulting wine has ripe pear and pineapple, and mango flavors highlighted by citrus, Granny Smith apple and hints of baking spices.

The Beringer Founders' Estate Chardonnay is the perfect combination of pear, apple and ripe tropical fruit flavors, with a hint of citrus and a classically round mouthfeel. 

Winemaker Description

A wonderfully food-friendly Barbera. Ruby red and medium bodied with light cherry fruit and great acidity. A wonderfully food-friendly Barbera from one of our favorite producers in Piedmont.  Ruby red and medium bodied with light cherry fruit and great acidity.

Winemaker Description

Frank on the palate with tastes developed in the bottle. Good body. Smooth and silky, the carbonic content keeps it fresh and lively, providing a long finish. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Kristen Bieler of the Wine Spectator writes 92 Points | This offers real aromatic beauty, with incense, violets and red currant flavors melded with a layer of finely crushed graphite. Chalk-fine tannins guide the medium-length finish, adding nice chewiness. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Drink now through 2032. 

Stuart Pigott of JamesSuckling.com writes 93 Points | This generous and well-structured 2021 Chateauneuf has excellent raspberry and strawberry aromas for the challenging vintage, plus notes of floral aromas. Surprisingly fine tannins, too. Still very youthful and in need of a bit of time in bottle to reach ideal harmony, but the freshness at the finish is already delightful. A cuvee 75% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% mourvedre and 5% cinsault that were co-fermented, then matured in foudre. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. 

Jeb Dunnuck writes 92 Points |  The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape is a solid effort in the vintage. A normal blend of mostly Grenache with 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, with a splash of Cinsault, it has a beautiful perfume of ripe cherries, fresh strawberries, sappy green flowers, and peppery garrigue. This carries to a medium-bodied, layered, elegant Châteauneuf with fine tannins, a beautiful overall sense of balance, and outstanding length. It shows the fresh, pretty, nuanced style of the vintage and is a beautiful wine to enjoy over the coming decade. It's in the same ballpark as the 2008.  Drinking 2023 to 2033.

Nicolas Greinacher of Vinous writes 91 Points | Checking in at 14.83% alcohol, the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a refined and predominately red-fruited beauty. Licorice and herbaceous components add more dimension. Framed by gentle tannins and more medium- than full-bodied, the 2021 ends with a bright finish.  Drinking 2025 to 2036.

Matt Walls of Decanter writes 93 Points | A smoky style that’s a touch herbal and meaty. Towards full-bodied, with good weight and texture. Quite a saline expression, ending on crisp raspberry acidity and quite strict tannins. Will always be a lean style, but should make interesting old bones.  Drinking 2025 to 2034.  -

Producer Description 

Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old is a light, heathery single malt with notes of sweet peat smoke, strawberry and beeswax on the nose. The palate is round and smoky, with flavors of honey, mustard, and a hint of citrus fruit. 

Producer Description 

Blending premium whisky isn’t just something we do, it has been the foundation of our craft since 1800. We bring together the finest ingredients to create a natural spirit before the passing of time imparts the wonderful flavour from our handcrafted casks. Add to this the fusion of skilled craftsmen and a tenacious obsession with quality and you arrive at our Famous, rich, sweet, well-rounded whisky. 

Winemaker Description

Benanti Etna Rosso is pale ruby red in color. The bouquet is ethereal and intense, with spicy red fruit aromas. Well balanced and medium-bodied, with a mineral-rich complexity, pleasant acidity and a saline freshness on the long and lively finish.

A versatile wine that can be paired with red meats and cheeses but also with fish or white meats. Very suitable for by-the-glass consumption.

Winemaker Description

This wine delivers aromatics of nectarine, lime, florals and hints of toasted spice. The palate is concentrated and precise, with citrus, black currant, fresh herbs and grilled pineapple flavours. This wine possesses crisp. refreshing acidity and a touch of chalky minerality.

A great match with all seafood, particularly shellfish. The crisp flavours work well with fresh summer salads or soft goat cheese. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Review

92  Points James Suckling | A solid sauvignon blanc with dried apple, lemon and flint. It’s medium- to full-bodied with excellent texture and a layered finish. Phenolics give this focus. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Winemaker Description

The flavors display nice strawberry and wild cherry fruit, with a touch of richness on the mid palate. It is balanced with dry, crisp acidity and complimented with a creamy texture and long finish.

Expert Reviews

David Schildknecht writes:  While Albrecht's Pinot Blanc Cremant d'Alsace (a genre Lucien Albrecht was prominent in legally codifying) is delicious, it is a bit simple to count as a top value at $24, whereas their non-vintage Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose - a pure Pinot Noir - is more intriguing and distinctive. Along with strawberry and red raspberry fruit suggestions that are enhanced by the wine's discreet hint of sweetness, there are saline, meaty, and herbal notes to add interest to both the nose and a lush palate, and the hints of salinity and bitterness in the finish make for an invigorating complement to the wine's prominent fruit. This comes in a light-sensitive clear bottle, and I could identify no lot number, so make sure that whoever sells you a bottle will take responsibility for freshness and proper storage.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Jame Suckling writes:  Fresh and fruity sparkling wine with a full body, creamy texture and a fruity finish. Slightly off-dry. Drink now.  - James Suckling

Winemaker Description 

This wine captures the typical Chablis character with steely minerality, focused citrus expression and firm acidity.

Serve as an aperitif or with oysters, seafood, snails, charcuterie, goat cheese, Gruyere cheese. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Winemaker Description 

Divided over the appellations of Menetou Salon, Pouilly Fume and Sancerre always attracting plaudits and winning medals, the family are rightly very proud of their success .

Marked by its charming hilltop village in the easternmost territory of the Loire, Sancerre is famous for its racy, vivacious, citrus-dominant Sauvignon blanc. Its enormous popularity in 1970s French bistros led to its success as the go-to restaurant white around the globe in the 1980s. While the region claims a continental climate, noted for short, hot summers and long, cold winters, variations in topography—rolling hills and steep slopes from about 600 to 1,300 feet in elevation—with great soil variations, contribute the variations in character in Sancerre Sauvignon blancs. 

Winemaker Description 

For Pierre Chainier, the Loire was a case of love at first sight, with its vineyards and fresh, fruity wines: so easy to drink either young or venerably old: like the 1893 Vouvrays, still in perfect condition today. Today, the Maison Pierre Chainier is still a family business, based in Amboise, a royal town built on the banks of the River Loire. They are a family of wine merchants, specializing in Touraine wines. With average production of approximately 6 millions bottles.

The Vouvray vineyards are situated upstream from Tours in the North of the Loire valley. Vines are planted on clay limestone and clay siliceous grounds on the chalky “Tuffeau” soil. The vines roots overhang the cellars built in the rock nearby the houses called “Troglodytes”. The ripe grapes are handpicked during October. Some of the grapes have noble rot also known as botrytis which concentrates the sugar in the grapes. The wines ferment very slowly over a month. 

Produced from 100% Chenin Blanc This off-dry wine gives a sweet sensation with a dry finish on the palate. A concentration of rich flavors develops fruity aromas such as orange peel, honey and ripe quince. It has a great long finish with a slight honey taste. Delicious! 

Winemaker Description

Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 is an intense ruby red color. The nose delivers notes of red fruit, in particular black cherries, light hints of flowers and sweet impressions of powdered sugar. The bouquet is completed by hints of cinnamon and dill that impart pleasantly spicy nuances. The vertical palate is taut, pleasantly mouthfilling with supple tannins and closes with a lengthy, sapid, and full finish. 

Expert Reviews 

Wine Spectator 95 points - This ripe style is fresh and harmonious, delivering plum, cherry and boysenberry fruit, with accents of earth, iron and eucalyptus. Supple in texture, with a beautifully integrated structure and long, complex aftertaste. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2043.

The Wine Advocate 94+ points - This is one of the big surprises of this tasting and ultimately represents one of the best buys in the entire extended Marchesi Antinori portfolio. The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori shares the DNA of Tignanello. It is Sangiovese kissed with small parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Of course, the wine is more accessible and open compared to Tignanello, and spiritually, this wine is a Chianti Classico. By that I mean that the elegant minerality of these soils and the sunny flavors of its environs are the determining characteristics. You get wildflower, iris, tart fruit and plum. The wine's enhanced mineral character, with dusty white rock, is what adds lasting complexity and depth.

Producer Description 

The Balvenie DoubleWood is a 12 year old Single Malt which gains its Distinctive Character from being matured in two woods. During its period of maturation The Balvenie DoubleWood is transferred from a Traditional Oak whisky cask to a First Fill Spanish Oak Sherry cask. Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt- the traditional casks, having previously held Bourbon, soften and add character, whilst the Sherry Wood brings depth and fullness of flavour. 

Winemaker Description

This fine-spun Pinot Noir opens with fresh aromas of coastal evergreens and wildflowers. Hints of early-season cherries follow, macerated in warm spices (anise, cardamom, allspice) and layered over earthy sandalwood. Ripe yet tangy dark berries, wearing a little dust from the patch, star on a lightly textured palate, giving way to savory herbs, delicately tannic red tea, and a pop of salty sea beans. A fascinating play of light fruit and dark spice is finished with a bright squeeze of orange peel.

Expert Ratings

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | Ripe ruby/red in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is ripe and spicy, with aromas of cherries, cinnamon, beet root, and incense. Medium-bodied, it has a weightless feel, a chalky, fine-grained texture, and a spicy finish with notes of gravelly earth. (2022). 

James Suckling 93 Points | A fresh yet structured pinot with dried strawberry, orange peel and light caramel with dried stems. Medium body, flavorful, firm and bright at the end. Savory. (2022). 

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | Aromas of sweet berries, cherry liqueur and cola dominate the nose of this Pinot, while the palate is loaded with cedar cigar box, coffee and maraschino cherry. The combination of freshness and grip feels very alluring, but it might need a few years to round into form. (2022).

Decanter 92 Points | Delicious, fresh, and savoury, this juicy Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast has violet and smoky flint aromatics buoyed by fresh red berries and a kiss of fresh mint. The palate is reflective, with flinty minerality coming to the fore. Pine sap, notes of fresh evergreen and lovely red fruits, clove and white peppery spice to finish. (2022). 

Winemaker Description

Bright red color with intense violet hues. Fresh nose of violets and rich plum marmalade laced with chocolate and vanilla oak flavors. A soft, sweet entry leads to a well-structured and long, persistent wine. Round, silky tannins.

Pair this Malbec + Syrah with a meat dish that mirrors its tangy berry flavors like cranberry pot roast or roast duck with sour cherry sauce.

Winemaker Description 

Producer Description 

Absolut Vodka is a unique character, in both design and taste. It’s bold and different. But hey, Absolut Vodka doesn’t just grab attention; it wins awards.

In 2024, Absolut was awarded a gold medal at The Spirits Business’ Vodka Masters competition for the second year in a row, which featured a blind tasting evaluated by a panel of esteemed spirits experts, adding to our collection of international accolades.

Absolut Vodka was first launched in New York in 1979. It soon became the talk of the town, in the US and eventually of the world. But the recipe behind the pure and natural taste of Absolut is actually older than 30 years. So is the 18th century medicine flask found in an antique store in Stockholm that gave inspiration to the iconic Absolut Vodka bottle.