The Friday List - 6/9/2023

Perfect wines, blue chips, & steals

Hello Collectors,

As the season shifts gears, so are we. We’re taking a break from showcasing new inventory this week to ask a question as old as commerce: Why haven’t these sold yet?! Kidding aside, today’s list is a selection of some of our most exciting wines and spirits, without the ultra-pricey stuff (well, just a few). These are some of the greatest bottles in the world, priced to move, and with great provenance. So however your palate is inclined, you’re sure to find something today that will also leave you asking, “Wait, why hasn’t this sold yet?!” 

For the 100-point hunters, we have an incredible 11 available today, from Italy to Bordeaux to California. Realm, Shafer Hillside Select, Lafite, Podere Il Carnasciale, and Luciano Sandrone (among others) all represent the best of their classes, and can be in your collection for as little as $200. We also have a dozen almost-perfect wines today, ranging widely from Napa phenom Nigel Kinsman’s namesake label, to Fontodi’s epic Flaccianello, to additional selections from the 100-pointers above. Riesling fans especially will be delighted by Keller’s return to The Friday List, with rare back vintages from Germany’s finest dry wine producer. 

For those with an eye on QPR, we have a diverse selection of absolute steals from some of the Old World’s best winemakers in their respective appellations—including back vintages. 2015 Vajra Ravera for $65? 2017 Guigal Château d’Ampuis for $100? Schäfer-Fröhlich’s mind-blowing 2021 Felseneck GG for under $100? For the reputation that we have as purveyors of the rarest and most expensive wines on Earth, it shouldn’t be forgotten that we also offer some of the planet’s best values, often at the internet’s best prices, and many of which have been stored with us since release. 

And for those collecting blue chips today, you won’t be disappointed. Le Musigny alone is interpreted by three different icons: Drouhin, Mugnier, and Vogüé. From the legendary 2005 vintage—with enough fruit to match immortal structure—we have a pair from Chevillon and Grivot that are finally entering what promises to be very long drinking windows. Cecile Tremblay, Armand Rousseau, Méo-Camuzet, Michel Lafarge, Mugneret-Gibourg, and Sylvain Cathiard all bring star power as well. And our White Burgundy selection is basically an auction catalog who’s who, boasting Roulot, Hubert Lamy, and Raveneau—the latter with an amazing 5 vintages of Montée de Tonnerre, from 2002 to 2019. 

We close with strong selections of Barolo and Bourbon. On the wine side, Cappellano, Bartolo Mascarello, and Burlotto each showcase some of the best terroirs in Italy. If you’ve never experienced either of these producers before, they are truly eye-opening, and can all cellar graciously. The Cappellano especially is drinking well now, with its youthful tannins finally softened and its secondary complexities coming in to complement the floral aromatics and fruit. Stateside, we’ve got a great selection of Pappy Van Winkle, showcasing their 10, 12, and 15 Year bottlings. These are famously generous spirits, with plenty of weight in every pour, both in character and alcohol content. Finally, Weller’s “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon” lives up to its name, having just won Best Kentucky Bourbon at the World Whiskies Awards (clunky name, very real award). Forbes writes of it, “…this delectable, 8-year-old vanilla bomb … currently can’t be found for less than $800 on secondary markets.” And yet, here you can get it for well below that.