 As Americans on the East Coast, we probably have the least amount of familiarity with the Margaret River and Western Australian wine regions than any other. Getting from Perth to here is just about literally the longest trip a wine could make to get here, so for effort and cost of transport we see very few examples beyond 1-2 of the blue chip producers that are already expensive anyway. From that lens alone this becomes a TREMENDOUS value, and what's in the bottle is worth every minute of the trip to get here. The region is very coastal, heavily influenced by the Indian Ocean, with conditions more akin to some of the cooler Californian regions. Cabernet Sauvignon here is much less oozy and heavy, instead showing more restrained and structured characteristics, even Bordeaux-ish in some ways. Dark currants and leathery red fruits on the nose that get deeper and more peppery as it opens up, this is definitely a style of Cabernet that isn't in a rush to show everything off at once. The palate has surprisingly nice acidity that adds of tart red fruits into the mix, and the tannins are equally fine and persistent to give this a refreshingly long finish. At only 13.5%abv some may think it's going to be restrained or lean, but this is a very complete wine and packed with character and complexity, something that should be on every Cab fan's reference list.
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 Most people's knowledge of Gattinara comes from the production of a couple producers that dominate probably 75% of the exported wines. Like most of the other appellations in the Alto Piedmonte at the foot of the Alps, Gattinara is largely rural and lost much of their production and reputation after World War II. Most of the vineyards were family farms, not wineries, and cooperatives like this one were vital for production otherwise the vineyards would have been completely forgotten. This co-op has been serving Gattinara since 1908 drawn from 40 family plots, primarily for the production of this flagship wine. This true field blend (the exact % of each varietal is not known as all the varieties are harvested by the families and co-fermented) is primarily Nebbiolo with a generous portion of Barbera along with some Vespolina and Uva Rara. Fresh and savory with dried cherry and cool restrained herbal aromas, this is fiendishly drinkable from one sip to the next, with lots of juicy energy and no hard edges that are usually seen with the more Alpine versions of Nebbiolo. Dry but not dry-ING, the Barbera and other varieties really contribute to the immediate drinkability here. The unbottled tanks at the winery are famously sold to locals bringing jugs and demijohns for their 'weekly drinker' refills. This will likely make it into many of your rotations as well.
 A little bit of 'North Meets South' in this wine, as one of the most acclaimed producers in the Northern Rhone takes on Grenache from the Southern Rhone. The Ogier family has been one of the larger presences in the Cote-Rotie for many generations as both growers and later winemakers, creating one of the most extensive selections of vineyards in the entire appellation. Great for reputation of excellence, but tough on finding values from the steep terraces slopes. The family recently found some suitable vineyards for them to work with in the Plan de Dieu region in between Chateauneuf and Gigondas in the Southern Rhone, and while the wine is primarily Grenache over Syrah, the Northern Rhone influence of the Ogiers is definitely apparent. Dark berry and black cherry skin aromas with a touch of herb and wild game in the background. The palate is also more Northern Rhone leaning, with a finely polished dark tannin and an energetic feel versus opulent juiciness, hitting the savory touches more than the up-front fruit. A great tweak on the expectations of Grenache based CDR, perfect for cold weather stews and braised or basted meat dishes, slow cooked and hearty stuff.
 One of the most important grape varieties in the history of New World winemaking, yet it's likely most people haven't knowingly tasted it. It goes by many names in North and South America (Pais, Mission, Criolla Chica) and was by all accounts the first vitis vinifera in the New World, brought over by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century to make their communion wines. The vines are high yielding and legendarily durable (the source of some of the oldest and genuinely gnarliest looking vines on the planet), but the juice is lighter weight and often very nondescript when compared to some of the more famous varieties. Lighter and lower alcohol wines are returning to fashion, and with thousands of acres in both American hemispheres there are lots of opportunities for great examples to be made. This is from a Chilean vineyard with vines just a 'mere' 90+ years old, formed as a collaboration between Chilean and Beaujolais producers. Makes sense, as a Cru Beaujolais would be most taster's first thought here. Dusty herbs and lightly floral red fruit on the nose with a touch of citrus and pomegranate, this is one of the prettier fragrances you will come across in a wine. The palate is light, but has more body and sneaky texture than expected, with lots of tart red fruits and citrus, finishing long with very fine tannins. Most Pais/Mission wines just aspire to be chillable and glug-able, but this brings some seriousness to the table.
 Hope everyone in Central Virginia are safe and sound after last week's Snow-mageddon. To coax you out of your ice-covered driveways and past the concrete-hard snow drifts at every corner, we wanted to give you something unique and compelling to sample. This is definitely that wine, something most people wouldn't think of unless and until they had a chance to sample it, and afterwards it becomes part of their weekly rotation. Friuli is the Easternmost portion of the Veneto, right up against the Slovenian border. White wines are still best known here, but there is a surprisingly strong reputation for the red wines here as well. One of the larger and flatter portions of the region is called Grave, referring to the gravelly soils, and it has a similar success with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as the more famous Graves region in Bordeaux (also named for its gravelly soils). Refosco is the wild card in this mix, a very local grape that has more fame from some recioto-style sweeter wines but has the stuff to make some chewy tannic dry wines in their youth. The extra bottle age here is essential and well appreciated, making for a surprising and well evolved value. A nice dark color with hints of brick colors at the edges, the nose is exactly what you want to get in a wine with some age. Underbrush and red fruit skins, old leather, nothing jammy. The palate has loads of life to it, with the dusty tannins still pulling through on the finish to leave a long mature finish. Depending on your tastes you may prefer the juicy side of youth, but there is no better picture than this of the improvements a bit of time will do for a wine that needs it.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2022 BODEGAS ALTOS DE MONTANCHEZ TEMPRANILLO 'VEGAS ALTAS' EXTREMADURA $15.991/22/2026  As we are all preparing for the incoming Snowpocalypse (Snowmageddon? Snowzilla? Snow-Rodan?), seems wise to pour a wine that has some oomph to keep folks warm. The Extremadura region in Southwestern Spain is just such a place for those wines, warm and fertile with lots of regional crop specialties (as well as Pata Negra Serrano ham), and wines meant to be straightforward and approachable. I.E. cheap and cheerful. This Bodega is a very unique outlier in the region as the first (perhaps only?) certified organic producer for all the wines under their roof, with multiple parcels they work with moving to Biodynamics. Their style leans towards the natural or minimal intervention world, which brings freshness and style to reds that can often be lacking in character or subtlety. Fresh blackberry and current aromas on the nose, especially with a little time open, but also a nice pop of citrus, chocolate orange style that really plays nicely with the emerging peppery and savory notes. That citrus also comes out on the palate, providing freshness and acidity that is so often lost in wines from this region, giving the juicy dark fruits some lift and finishing surprisingly clean. A great pairing with lots of slow cooked 'comfort foods' you may be fixing with nowhere to go for 2-3 days at a time.
 The term 'Super Tuscan' is very prevalent in Tuscany, used to identify wines that fall outside the classic regional appellation parameters, usually from having Bordeaux grapes in the blend. But 'Super Piedmontese'? Can we make that a thing? Outside of the occasional Pinot Noir, you really don't see a whole lot of deep seeded interest for introducing other varietals into the scene, so probably not. That means this wine is more of an exception to the rule, but a delicious discovery for the price point. Primarily Barbera with a decent splash of Merlot, the wine has a dark Dolcetto-ish color to it with some dark currant notes from the Merlot on top of the dry berry spice from the Barbera. Plump and darkly juicy as well on the palate with just a light tone of tannins at the finish and hints of underbrush behind the darker berries. A bit unexpected for Piedmont purist, but immensely drinkable. It works, sip after sip, and should be very friendly at the dinner table.
 Even though wines from this producer arrived later in 2025, it still stood out (along with their red wine and Vermouth) as one of our favorite finds of the year. What is even more remarkable is that this is a very young winery in an ancient growing region that came to be by luck and happenstance. The warm/hot region of Alicante sits south of Valencia and is historically known for making strong bulk wines and, in this small pocket around the town of Canyada, a rare fortified wine called Fondrillon. This Bodega was created and takes its name from the chance discovery a decade ago of an abandoned cellar full of Fondrillon casks untouched for 50 years and remnants back to the 19th century. These wines are of course massively expensive, but in taking possession of these barrels the new owners also took over the property's vineyards, full of older white and red vines that were also largely forgotten. After several years of massaging these vines back to health and bringing a much higher level of quality and modern winemaking methodology to the region, their stable of 'regular' wines are standouts as well and quite exceptional. This white is built from three local varietals-Verdil, Merseguera and Moscatel- aged on their lees using natural yeasts with a 'minimalist' style to it. With the aromatics and low abv at only 12.5%, you would think this was much more of a coastal/cool climate wine, with lots of salty lemon tones in with the cool flowers and fine herbal notes. The palate is nicely weighty with more pulpy, pithy citrus flavors, but in no way fruity at all, very lean and clean with a long puckering tartness to the finish. A stellar match for just about any strongly seafood-influenced dish you can come up with, with more than enough body to stand up to any levels of richness.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 WONDERMENT WINES PETITE SIRAH BACIGALUPI VINEYARD RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY $39.9912/18/2025  Petite Sirah is a notoriously long-aging grape variety, with some of the more intense single site bottlings taking years-if not decades-to see the rugged tannins start to soften. It's rare for us to be able to sell one like this that is starting to get 'in the pocket', especially one from such an historic site. Bacigalupi is one of the most historic and important vineyards in the Russian River Valley, as they were the source for the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the 1976 Paris tasting and changes the course of American winemaking (as well as inspiring the movie 'Bottle Shock'). The quality is undeniable; deep and inky colored, with loads of blackberry and currant on the nose, slowly sweetening with some spice over time. But the palate is where things really get rolling, where time in the bottle has patiently started to sand down the burly tannins, allowing a surprisingly bright combination of cedary dark fruits and pops of bright citrus. Don't know if it's because of the holiday season, but it gives me thoughts of a Terry's Chocolate Orange in some ways. The age also helps the alcohol merge seamlessly into the palate, another aspect of Petite Sirah that can be difficult in its youth. A real treat for the holidays.
 Appellation lines and borders can seem maddeningly random at times, but there are definitely times we can get it to work to our advantage. Felsina is an iconic producer of Chianti Classico, champions of the Sangiovese grape with nary a Bordeaux varietal vine anywhere on their estate. Their property is at the southern edge of the Classico appellation, so much so that the dividing line into the Colli Senesi appellation cuts through their holdings. Yes there are some geological and geographical changes, but other than that these vines are a healthy stone's throw away (maybe a stiff iron shot away if you're a golfer) from the same Sangiovese that makes Felsina's most acclaimed wines. Same organic viticulture, same attention to detail, same focus on a 100% Sangiovese wine as their big boys, this represents an excellent value for fans of classic Chianti. Youthful color with lots of dark graphite, leather and dark spice aromas that slowly get some smoky red tones going after a while. The palate is packed, mostly with young fine grained tannins at first but the dark fruit and leathery flavors elbows its way out eventually. Not a showy style of Chianti, it takes some decanting now and is unapologetically old school, and greatly rewards any patience shown to it.
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The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
March 2026
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