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  2020 Isole e Olena Cepparello

  Tuscany, ITALY

  $230. 00

  Bottle

  $2760.00 Dozen

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  Cellar: Drink now - 10 Years (2024-2034)

  ABV: 15%

  Closure: Stelvin

  In the 1950s, the father of current winemaker Paolo de Marchi purchased the adjoining hamlets of Isole and Olena and their estates in the Tuscan commune of Barberino Val d'Elsa. Paolo entered the business in 1976 and the quality of the estates wines improved rapidly after decades of sharecropping. Paolo de Marchi is one of the region's kings of the Sangiovese grape and at a time when Chianti was a blended wine it was he that stepped out to produce wines that were 100% Sangiovese. Cepparello is the true embodiment of a ‘Super Tuscan’ wine and one of Italy's most iconic wines.

  Totally opaque black dark red colour with a dark red hue. A kaleidoscope of red to black currant, red cherry, red plum, Mediterranean herb, earth, spicy vanillin cedar and subtle fresh tobacco notes captivate the olfactory senses. Very refined and long across the palate a mixture of rich spicy red currant, red cherry and red liquorice fruits are featured over a Mediterranean herb infused back drop of vanillin cedar, earthy forest floor like characters, black olive and tobacco. Slightly muscular in it’s feel it possesses fine graphite like tannins and is both powerful and deep. The long, elegant and structured conclusion carrying a compelling savoury quality.
  Drink over the next 8-10 years.
  Alc. 15%

  Other Reviews…..
  My most recent visit to Isole e Olena was decidedly bittersweet. Paolo De Marchi turned out an exceptional set of 2020s, wines that are among his very best ever. However, the sale of Isole e Olena has been quite traumatic. It’s a complex subject, the result of a mix of family dynamics and the lack of an industry structure that could long-term stability. These factors are not unique to Isole e Olena but rather conditions that afflict all family-owned wineries in Italy. Personally, I would like to see more long-term thinking in Italy, but that is not typically part of the cultural construct here. New owners EPI Group, who also own Biondi-Santi, will surely put their own stamp on things. Obviously, it is much too early to know where things will go. Right now, I can only advise Isole e Olena fans to snap up the 2020s, as they are magical.
  The 2020 Cepparello is a total stunner, just as it was last year. Deeply colored, layered and explosive in the glass, the 2020 possesses striking textural richness and overall intensity. Black cherry, graphite, plum, spice and lavender flesh out effortlessly. There's tremendous pedigree and sheer stature here. Cepparello is surely one of the wines of the year. Drink 2027-2045.
  98 points
  Antonio Galloni – Vinous

  Supple and smooth, the 2020 Cepparello brings Sangiovese to soaring heights in a manner only Paolo De Marchi can manage. This is his second to last vintage before he would retire and sell this historic estate. The wine opens to medium to full-bodied concentration with dark plum and redcurrant. Those cede to sweet spice, earth, crushed stone, rusty nail and candied orange peel. Give the wine more time to flesh out with cellar age. It registers a powerful 15% alcohol content. Drink 2024-2045.
  96 points
  Monica Larner – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

  Expressive and sumptuous from the get-go, this red features cherry, strawberry, rose, orange peel, mineral and Tuscan herb aromas and flavors. Sangiovese. Best from 2025 through 2045. 4,800 cases made.
  96 points
  Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator

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  • Reduced

  Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Highlands, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $89.99

  $79. 99

  Bottle

  $959.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 40%

  "yesss! Spot on Pulteney character with the malt bristling the taste buds..." 91 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

  Suitably marketed as 'The Maritime Malt’, Pulteney’s sweet and fruity style comes with a lick of salt and sea air. It's one of a small number of coastal distilleries turning out a very distinctive style, further distinguished by its extreme northern location. Owned by a relatively small company without the promotional muscle of the major players, many whisky enthusiasts only 'discovered' Pulteney after Jim Murray named the now discontinued 21 year old World Whisky of the Year, (replaced by the superb 18YO). Choose any age statement and Pulteney promises a solid northerner, frequently matured in x Bourbon where you get the best feel for the distillate, but also suited to sherry when handled with care. Apart from the notable saline character, we often find hints of beeswax and light smoke that give it a Clynelish-like feel.

  Established in 1826, for a long time the distillery was only accessible by sea. Barley was brought in by boat, the whisky shipped out and many of the distillery workers were also employed as fishermen. The herring fishing industry is no longer part of daily life in Wick, but the heritage of the region is referenced in the packaging of Old Pulteney, the labels incorporating the depiction of a traditional Wick herring drifter.

  The twelve year old presents a pale gold colour in the glass and a minor sulphur note is evident beneath the light, salty, peppery malt that leaves one with an overall impression similar to fino or manzanilla sherry; it sweetens slightly with aeration releasing hints of fruit. The medium dry, biscuity palate has a pleasantly spicy burst - over all, dry and saline. The finish is crisp and fresh with delicate bready notes followed by a late coastal tang. In the spectrum of single malts, this belongs at the aperitif end, and is all the more refreshing for its individuality. 40% Alc./Vol. [2007 batch tasted].

  Other reviews... Remarkably consistent.... The salt continues to ensure lustre, though this bottling has a little extra - and welcome - barley gristiness. 91 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022

  ...The only survivor from Old Pulteney’s core range shake-up of 2018, this has been matured in first and second-fill bourbon casks. The nose is delicate, with almonds, honey, and floral notes. Malt and toffee on the palate, with spicy oak and a hint of brine. The medium-length finish is nutty, with wood spices. 87 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2018)

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  • Reduced

  Roseisle The Origami Kite 12 Year Old (Special Release 2023) Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

  Speyside, Highlands, SCOTLAND

  Reduced from $159.99

  $129. 99

  Bottle

  $1559.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 56.5%

  Completed in 2010, Roseisle is a new addition to the Diageo stable, built to produce large quantities of malt for blends. Its design is also geared towards flexibility. According to Scotchwhisky.com. "Six of its seven pairs of stills can switch between stainless steel or standard (copper) shell and tube condensers. If a light grassy spirit is required, long fermentation (in excess of 90 hours) is used, along with slow distillation with air rests, and condensing in the copper condensers. Conversely, if a heavy style is needed then the stainless steel condensers will be used. The lack of extended copper ‘conversation’ will add the requisite weight to the spirit. A nutty (malty) style could also be produced by shortening mashing and fermentation regimes. The grassy style which is currently produced is different noticeably to that from other Diageo sites such as Glen Ord or Royal Lochnagar."

  This special release was matured in first-fill and refill bourbon barrels. A sweet, chewy malt, it conjures notes of toasted cereals, dried grass, sponge cake and bittersweet chocolate, leavened by some attractive fruity moments through the warm, spirity finish. 56.5% Alc./Vol. Tasted from a 20ml sample.

  Other reviews... This first single malt release from Roseisle has a nose of orchard and citrus fruit, with kumquat, lime, banana leaf, nectarine, red apple, and jasmine, with a touch of white pepper and vanilla oak. Buttery and fruity on the palate, with green apple, orange, lime, and plenty of spice, settling to apple, marshmallow, cotton candy, and background spices. Residual fruit, spice, and a touch of creaminess on the finish. 89 points - whiskyadvocate.com

  Here, I believe, is the first commercially released version of Roseisle, beyond the various samples that have been circulating since its launch in 2010. Roseisle's total capacity is 10 million LPA, which isn't huge (Glenfiddich and Glenlivet are much larger). I had the joy of visiting Roseisle with the Malt Maniacs on our 15th anniversary in 2012. Roseisle can produce very different styles, especially by using stainless steel instead of copper in the condensers, which generates thicker, less pure textures, even quite sulphurous ones, but it seems that the priority has remained with light and herbal malts, no doubt much easier to 'correct' when filled / used. Colour: golden. Nose: indeed, I find it quite herbal at the start, then more on apples and plums, then melon, nectarines, almond paste, coconut, and fresh wood. It's nice but there isn't a huge personality, we remain in the realm of the largest Speyside distilleries. With water: the same feeling. Ripe apple, beer, freshly mown lawn... Mouth (neat): very creamy, peppery and fruity at the same time, then increasingly herbal, with a bit of syrup and hops in the background. It's especially the quite thick texture that is remarkable, had they used stainless steel condensers? With water: much fruitier, a bit in the style of the strongest Californian IPAs, then more and more herbal and spicy, with a lot of green pepper and pink berries. Finish: quite long, always very spicy, a bit dominated by new wood at this stage. Pear. Comments: nothing more to say, it does the job very well, with a lot of texture. 85 points - whiskyfun.com

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  • Organic
  • Biodynamic

  2023 Stefano Lubiana Primavera Pinot Noir

  Tasmania, AUSTRALIA

  $44. 99

  Bottle

  $539.88 Dozen

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  Cellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2024-2030)

  ABV: 13.5%

  Closure: Stelvin

  Established in 1990, Stefano Lubiana is Tasmania’s first and only certified biodynamic vineyard, the family are now 5th and 6th generation winemakers with a history going back to Italy. Primavera is a single vineyard Pinot Noir made up of a mix of two terroirs: grey gravelly loams over clay and red loam over gravel. Fruit is mostly wild fermented, de-stemmed and taken off skins early to retain lots of fruit flavour. The grapes are hand picked, hand sorted and fermented with some whole bunches. Maturation takes place in French oak for a period of 8-10 months.
  Semi translucent dark red core with black toned edges and a vibrant light purple red hue. Pretty violet, red to dark cherry and strawberry scents blossom from the glass with plenty of intensity followed by hints of anise, dried herbs, rhubarb and forest floor. Delicious red to dark cherry, strawberry and anise flavours decorate the palate over a back drop of forest floor, dried herbs and brambly spice. Supple yet fresh in its feel with finely shaped tannins it concludes long and juicy.
  Drink over the next 5-6 years.
  Alc. 13.5%

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  Sullivans Cove Double Cask Barrel DC119 Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml)

  Tasmania, AUSTRALIA

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 47.5%

  Sullivans Cove Double Cask is a vatting of single malt whiskies that were aged in a combination of American oak ex-Bourbon and French oak ex-Tawny casks, with the youngest cask being anywhere from 6 to 17 years old. Each batch is diluted to a bottling strength from 40% to 50+% ABV, depending on the profile of the component casks. All releases are non-chill filtered and free from added colour. Casks are chosen for their complementary characteristics, with the emphasis on balance and batch consistency over individual cask expression. As the only vatted expression in the Sullivans Cove core range, Double Cask provides the most accessible and representative view of the distillery’s mature house style.

  DC119 was filled into casks in July 2017 and bottled in Sep 2023. 948 bottles produced. 47.5% Alc./Vol

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  Sullivans Cove Single Cask American Oak Barrel TD0386 Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml)

  Hobart, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 49.5%

  More recent releases from this distillery (established in 1994) mark a welcome departure from many (early) previous expressions that were frequently sabotaged by hessian bag, burnt rubber and/or sulphur-like notes. All three bottlings (Double Wood, American Oak Single Cask and French Oak Single Cask) are clean, complex and come highly recommended.

  A well-aged Sullivan's Cove, filled into a cask in Nov 2012 and bottled in Sep 2023. 213 bottles produced. 49.5% Alc./Vol

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  Sullivans Cove Single Cask American Oak Barrel TD0169 Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml)

  Hobart, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 47.6%

  More recent releases from this distillery (established in 1994) mark a welcome departure from many (early) previous expressions that were frequently sabotaged by hessian bag, burnt rubber and/or sulphur-like notes. All three bottlings (Double Wood, American Oak Single Cask and French Oak Single Cask) are clean, complex and come highly recommended.

  A well-aged Sullivan's Cove, filled into a cask in Nov 2006 and bottled in Aug 2019. 270 bottles produced. 47.6% Alc./Vol

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  2023 Red Claw Pinot Noir

  Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $29. 99

  Bottle

  $359.88 Dozen

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  Cellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2024-2030)

  ABV: 13%

  Closure: Stelvin

  Yabby Lake’s second label, Red Claw, regularly delivers great value across the range. The 2023 season brough 'La Nina' weather conditions for the third year in a row.  It was a cool and late ripening vintage with low yields producing superb quality fruit.  Produced with the inclusion of 10% whole bunch fruit the wine was matured in French oak puncheons for 10 months.

  Deliciously juicy, this Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir combines rich fruit and power with a supple feel.

  Dark red core with black shaded edges and a vibrant red hue. Blossoming out of the glass with a perfumed like intensity are alluring scents of violet, dark cherry, strawberry and subtle anise which are complimented by some fresh herb, delicate forest floor and spicy cedar notes. Deliciously juicy dark cherry and strawberry fruits flow across the palate with a supple feel. Traces of anise, forest floor and spicy cedar lie underneath. The long moreish finish a combination of freshness, velvety tannins and power.
  Drink over the next 5-6 years.
  Alc. 13%

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