WESTGATE

WINE

SUMMERS END WINE CLEARANCE

Cabernet Clearance Sale (Page 1) $65 White Burgundy for $23 (Page 6) $39 Red Burgundy for $20 (Page 8) Top 2009 Cote-Rtie 40% Off (Page 10) Brilliant Grower Champagne Bargains (Page 13) Top-Value Pinot Noirs (Page 20) Best-Ever Mollydooker Shiraz (Page 23)

PLUS...
Shattered by the New Orin Swift! (Page 24) Introducing Julien Schaal (Page 26) Wine Tasting with Paul Cluver (Inside Back Cover)
Join us for our free wine tastings EVERY Saturday from 12-6 WESTGATE WINE 6405 Westgate Road, Suite 115 Raleigh, NC 27617

(919) 787-4290

SUMMER STORAGE & SHIPPING

Westgate Wine Storage will be happy to hold your wines for you until weather permits them to be shipped, free of charge. We are also able to ship your wines to you during this time if you instruct us to do so.

FREE CHARLOTTE, TRIAD & TRIANGLE DELIVERIES

We are now scheduling deliveries to the Charlotte Area, The Triad and Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, free for 3 or more cases. Call us for details.

WHERE WERE LOCATED

We are at 6405 Westgate Road, off Highway 70 and 540 in Raleigh (near the Angus Barn go up Westgate Road and were across from the red Citgo). You can find more detailed directions on our website, www.westgatewinestore.com. Or call us at (919) 787-4290.

2005 SPENCE NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON Reg. $64.99/$32.39 sale

I put the regular price at $65, as thats the lowest price for any vintage of Spence anywhere else. Weve put this in over a dozen blind tastings now against virtually everything else we could think of and every single time its prevailed. A truly profound Napa Cabernetwhat else can we say. Actually I like what one customer said after the last blind tasting: This somehow manages to combine the most Bordeaux-like complexity and character with the richest, most full-bodied California flavor. For me, its a 100. Sadly, we just took in our last delivery. But there are still over 20 cases left!

The tiny Spence vineyard, high atop Howell Mountain.

2009 GOLDSCHMIDT HILARYS CABERNET SAUVIGNON Reg. $34.99/$24.99 sale

I really should have put this beside the Spence instead of Silver Oak. And not just to give it some real competition. As tasting after tasting has shown, these are not only our best Cabernets at their pricestheyre our best Cabernets at ANY price. But more than that, theyre both exemplars of very opposite styles. This is Oakville West as it should be (but now so seldom is)lacy, elegant, even billowy (with that rare peacocks tail of supple yet expansive flavor) and above all, beautiful. As much as I admire its next-door neighbor Opus One, this is the style of Oakville Cabernet Id usually rather drink. The Spence is a much richer, deeper, earthier and more powerful Howell Mountain style of Napa Cabernet. (Though almost nobody on Howell Mountain does that style as well as Spence.) Goldschmidt made 1000 cases of this exquisite 2009, and sold them all in a month. We bought a hundred of themand have sold most of them already. And you can now have ten bottles of this for the price of a single bottle of Opus! Which if youre like me is goodthis is always the kind of wine Im in the mood for.

Our supplier, Mike Eaker, in the Spencer Vineyard; thats Opus behind him.
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2008 POWERS COYOTE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Reg. $24.99/$17.99 sale

This ones a steal even at its normal retail price of $25. Just ask Decanter Magazine, which named it one of Washingtons Ten Best Cabernets, praising its dense cassis noseVery rich and full-bodied, lavish and opulent, with firm tannins and flavors of dark fruits, cloves and chocolate. Long. Or Paul Gregutt, who put it in his list of Washingtons Greatest Cabernets. Or the Seattle Times, which included it in their list of Washingtons Top 100 Wines. Or the Wine Enthusiast, which has rated it the best Cabernet yet from one of Americas Top Cabernet Sauvignon Producers, saying this concentrated wine captures the essence of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Of course, many will still prefer the Parker 94-point 2008 Powers Sheridan Cabernet Reserve ($22.49 only 3 cases left!) And that is a terrific wine. But for only $17.99, this one is just flat-out AMAZING.

Dont forget to sign up for our e-mail offers! We send very detailed descriptions of the most exciting and best value wines we can find daily. Check us out at www.westgatewinestore.com

2009 FABRE MONTMAYOU PRETTY MALBEC Reg. $29.99/$21.99 sale

Okay, so it may not be a Cabernetbut it is a knockout. The good news is our supplier ordered an extra pallet by mistake (right when we thought it was gone for good). The even better news is that got us a slightly better price this time around! Which, of course, were passing on to you Herve Fabre was the first in Argentina to offer a pure varietal Malbec. And his best (and rarest) Malbec is still in our view (and that of the British press) Argentinas best. And yes, I realize there are plenty of Malbecs out there at over $100 nowbut this one is still the best. From 101-year-old, ungrafted vines, yields of only 25 hl/ha and pampered like a First GrowthNO other Malbec combines richness and concentration with grace, elegance and class as this one does. Theres a reason YOU (our customers) keep choosing this blind against pretty much whatever we throw against it. Its just a great winepure and simple.

A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE (from WineChump.com)

Okay. I had no expectation here. None whatsoever. Until I took the first nose of it. Crme Brulee. Incredible! Then, the taste and finish. Exquisite. I thought it might be giving my favorite Shiraz a run for its money. This is an incredible Malbec. Get at least two, because youll want to be alone with this on more than one occasionFrom 103-year-old vines, this dense, lusty bottling is sure to turn heads.
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Burgundy, The Rhone & Champagne

Heres a truly phenomenal white Burgundy BELOW HALF-PRICE, one of the top Cote-Roties of Parkers top Cote-Rotie vintage EVER at 40% Off and a brilliant (Krug-quality) single-vineyard, old-vine, vintage grower Champagne at the best price anywhereonly $39.99.

GREAT $65 White Burgundy for $22.99!

An old customer (and old friend) recently asked me what I really thought of one of our wines.all BS aside. (The Mader Rosacker, fortunately one of my favorites.) But he has a point. The way we operate, we really do have to (and really do try to) swing for the fences every time. After all, most of our customers buy cases of wines theyve never had - and that they wont first have the chance to try based solely on our recommendations. These wines have to be good. And I do believe that most of the wines we sell are both quality and value home runs. But only occasionally do we really knock it out of the park. This time, though, we knocked it out of the atmosphere. If there is only one wine you absolutely MUST consider in this catalog, (heaven forbid)THIS is the one. Not only have Parker, Tanzer, Revue du Vin de France, Bettane & Desseauve and ALL the important mainstream wine critics called JeanMarie Guffens one of the Worlds greatest white winemakers, so have all of the more obscure intelligentsia wine types. Jacqueline Friedrich, for instance, in her excellent The Wines of France, says: Guffens wines were and continue to be miraculousAnd those of you fortunate enough to taste one or more of them may well swear you have never tasted a better Chardonnay. And Andrew Jefford, in The New France, says: These are white wines with the kind of ravishing purity and compelling sensual austerity more familiar among the greatest winemakers of the Saar, the Ruwer or AlsaceBefore, no one knew that Macon Pierreclos or even Pouilly-Fuisse could rival Corton-Charlemagne or Batard-Montrachet. Now they do.
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Of course, when a producer transcends his appellation as Guffens has and as no other producer anywhere has (think about itMacons not only better than all other Macons, but better than most Montrachets!) it tends to annoy his peers. And Guffens legendary self-assurance hasnt helped. When told, for instance, that hed been named (with Coche-Dury and Lafon) one of the three top white wine producers in all of Burgundy, Guffens responded, its just a pity that the other two are so far behind. But taste any one of these great 2006 Guffens domain wines the freshest and most fantastic vintage, I believe, he has ever made and youll agree with Frances top wine writers, Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Jean-Marie Guffens: a true badass. This tiny domaine is home to some of the Worlds greatest Chardonnays. Jean-Marie Guffens is the only winemaker we know who can produce a wine of such consistent eloquence, combining immaculate grape expression with the mineral character of a limestone terroir. Even at peak ripeness they retain an acidity simply unknown elsewhere. Without fiendishly precise pressing (in a special antique press Guffens rebuilt himself) tailored to the requirements of every vintage Guffens could never achieve such crystalline purity. His great Pierreclos and Vergisson cuvees, like the greatest Rieslings, are as limpid and pure as spring water. These are masterpieces of finesse Those who say theyre tired of Chardonnay really owe it to themselves to try these scintillating wines. Theyre like virtually no other Chardonnays on earth. The fact that theyre six years old, in absolutely pristine condition and less than half their original release prices is just the icing on the cake.

2006 GUFFENS MACON PIERRECLOS Premier Jus de Chavigne Reg. $59.99/$22.99 sale
Great white Burgundy is all about the tension of richness and concentration playing off minerality, freshness and finesse. For most producers, striking this balance involves tradeoffs. Guffens, though, manages to not only imbue his wines with all these qualities, but to somehow amplify them all, too. This wine, according to Tanzer (and others) the single greatest Macon Guffens has ever made (greater even than the 95-point 2005 we blew through last year at $39.99), definitely has it all. Its as pristinely, strikingly fresh as any Chardonnay can be. (With a pH, I would bet, of around 3.0.) Yet its also immensely concentrated, utterly suffused with an ineffably complex minerality and satisfyingly rich, dense, deep and concentrated. How does Guffens do it? I dont know. He did pick relatively early in 2006 which turned out to be prescient. And this is from only the free run juice of 80-year-old vines in his top Macon vineyard. But theres an artistry here a magic even thats both unique among white Burgundies, and quite difficult to explain. As Bettane & Desseauve said: This is great art! Maybe I should just leave it at that. The price of this wine on release, by the way, was $65. And not only is this just over a third that priceits been perfectly stored for you for five years now! Easily and BY FAR the best white Burgundy (and white wine) value I have ever offered. So far, pretty much everyone who has tasted this wine has bought it.

Superb $39 Red Burgundy for $19.99

Now surely this must be the hardest wine to find a true, quality red Burgundy from a top producer thats both ready to drink and seriously affordable. There are no listings on Wine-Searcher for this, but it sold on release for an average of $39. And one California store thats not on WineSearcher has it on sale for $36.62. While it lasts, though, this delicious and almost shockingly classy, authentic and complex Gevrey-Chambertin gem is only $19.99.

All of these wines, by the way, are directly from the importer and in absolutely PRISTINE condition. Its very rare that we can find older Burgundies in this perfect a shapeat any price.

2007 F. MAGNIEN COTE DE NUITS-VILLAGES CROIX VIOLLETTE Reg. $39.99/$19.99 sale

Savvy Burgundy buyers have long known that this hidden gem is not only the steal of Frederic Magiens portfolio (even at $35$40); its also a very complete wine that reaches far beyond the level of a very good Gevrey-Chambertin. The reason is the vineyard. Its a small, perfectly-situated clos (or walled vineyard) beside the castle of Brochon, on the same level of the slope as the Gevrey grand crus. But because its on the North side of Brochon, its Cote de Nuits-Villages rather than Gevrey-Chambertin. (And $40 rather than $70.) The majority of its vines are now 90 years old. I made the mistake recently of showing this to a very knowledgeable customer who was already buying a case of American Pinot Noir. But one taste of this (and especially one whiff of it theres nothing like the smell of a high-quality, well-aged red Burgundy) and he changed his order to two cases of Croix Viollette. As Magnien (and many others) have said, this is premier cru-level quality (and a pretty good premier cru at that) for a fraction the price. I just wish we had more of it!

Note: By the time you read this, we should have some other great Guffens and Verget white Burgundies in (as well as some serious red Burgundies, and great-value Bordeaux, and more Rhones) - all at World-beating pricesJust Ask!

Great Buy in Top-Rated, Top-Vintage Cote-Rtie

In Parkers top-rated Cote-Rtie vintage ever, the brilliant 2009 Chateau de Saint Cosme Cote-Rtie was one of his (and one of the Wine Spectators) top dozen wines of the vintageand the best at its $75 release price. For consumers on CellarTracker, this rated even higher, finishing just a point behind the $200 Ogier Lancement (a Parker 99) as the top Cote-Rtie of all in this great vintage. Now great Cote-Rties like this are hard enough to find period. But at 40% Offwell, forget about it! Plus a dynamite $45 Saint-Joseph for only $24.99.

2009 CHATEAU DE SAINT COSME COTE-RTIE Reg. $69.99/$44.99 sale

All true Cote-Rties are fascinating wines for me, even more than Hermitagesbut the great Saint Cosme Cote-Rtie is especially so. This 2009 was aged in 70% new oak, with the rest second fill, but thats the only thing modern about this wine. To begin with, its entirely from the old Serine variant of Syrah which gives much lower yields of smaller, more oblong and concentrated grapes thats unique to Cote-Rtie. Andrew Jefford (a smart British dude) claims: Serine, not Syrah, is responsible for the complexity, expression, finesse and smoke of great Cote-Rtie. But theres not much of it left. Saint Cosme also sources its rare Serine from some of the oldest vines in some of the appellations top vineyards, mainly in the Cote Brune. Whole clusters (with the stems, a rare and old-fashioned practice) are fermented with wild yeasts, and the wine is bottled unfiltered. Parker rated it 94 points (above both Jamets, the Rostaing La Landonne and many of the vintages other top wines), saying:
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Layered and dense ruby-purple, this wine displays plenty of graphite, licorice, black raspberry and cassis notes, a full-bodied mouthfeel, striking complexity and elegance and a very long finish. Everything is in place, and the wine should evolve nicely for 10-15+ years. Saint Cosme says: We find everything we like in a Cote-Rtie: Freshness, balance, Serines relief, the deep and complex aromas which ally finesse with the purity of the fruit. But I like this more recent (two months ago) CellarTracker quote best: This is a wow wine. Still opaque purple in color, the wine has an open nose of blackberry jam, spice and pepper. The balance and depth are outstanding. Still great overnight w/o gas. Going to be amazing in 3-5 years. That was pretty much our take, too. You just dont find Cote-Rties like this for under $100 these daysand when you do, jump on them! We sure did.

2005 COURSODON SAINT-JOSEPH LOLIVAIE Reg. $39.99/$24.99 sale

In an appellation extended a whopping 70 times in 1969, its hard to find the real article in Saint-Joseph anymore. But everyone Parker, Tanzer, the Wine Spectator, Jancis Robinson, Revue du Vin de France, and a host of other critics agrees: Jerome Coursodon is the real deal. And this bottling, from 60-year-old vines in the great Olivet vineyard (pure granite, just like Hermitage Bessards) in St. Jean de Muzols, the original heart of the appellation is as Jancis Robinson says, Coursodons most serious and traditional wine. Theres no new oak here rather its aged in a combination of older barriques and the traditional large older demi-muids, then bottled unfined and unfiltered, with little or no added sulfer. Jancis Robinson rates this 2005 the best Coursodon Saint-Joseph ever, praising its fragrant, lovely lovely fresh pure black fruit and fine-grained tannins. She also rates it, along with Tunnels 2005, the top Saint-Joseph of this great vintage.
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Parker, Tanzer, The Wine Spectator, John Livingstone-Learmonth (the foremost British Rhone expert), several French publications, and all the consumers on CellarTracker rate it outstanding, too. Tanzer says: Inky purple. Explosively aromatic nose features pungent blackberry, blueberry and candied licorice scents. Very sweet, with deep, dark fruit flavors and silky tannins. Impressively fresh and focused, with a long, supple finish and clinging crme de mure flavor. There are no listings on Wine-Searcher, but the best price on Coursodons Sensonne (which Tanzer rates two points lower) is $49.99. And the original release price was $45. PLUS, as with the Guffens, you get five extra years of perfect storage and aging here!

Jerome Coursodon in his vineyard...this looks harder than pulling tobacco!

Riveting Krug-Like Champagnes

Thierry Triolets very limited single-vineyard, old-vine, pure Chardonnay Champagne perhaps the single greatest grower Champagne bargain of my career - is virtually impossible to find. Theres not a single listing for any vintage anywhere on Wine-Searcher. And we certainly blew through our initial allocation of his spectacular 2005... which Triolet believes may be the best vintage hes ever made. But now its back along with Triolets rich, bready and very Krug-like (Krug is the major buyer for Triolets grapes) Grande Reserve. Both assuming you can even find them anywhere else are at the best prices anywhere. In the World, that is.
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2005 TRIOLET BRUT VIEILLES VIGNES Reg. $59.99/$39.99 sale

From Triolets best single vineyard, planted on a pure chalk, perfectly South-facing slope in 1947. Aged much like Krug, in old oak, and bottled with no dosage. Though youd never suspect it this is deep, rich and bready, not at all lean or raspy (as no dosage Champagnes can be), but also SO incisive and intensenot unlike Krugs own single-vineyard Chardonnay, the Clos du Mesnil. Except you can buy three cases of this for what a bottle of Clos du Mesnil costs! A wine that has blown away such leading Champagnes as vintage Bollinger and even La Grande Dame in blind tastingsand which has blown away our customers, too. In fact, virtually everyone who has tried this brilliant (and I used brilliant in the diamond sense here) Champagne has bought some. Heres the only review on CellarTracker: Very young, very powerful. Huge nose of toasty yeast. Real grip on the palate. Will improve, but hard to wait. Again, there are no Wine-Searcher listings anywhere, but we did find a store in Oregon that has it for $53.

NV TRIOLET BRUT GRANDE RESERVE Reg. $44.99/$32.99 sale

Triolets prestige cuvee always pure old-vine Chardonnay, from at least three top vintages and with seven years on its lees. It may not have quite the intensity or sheer shimmering brilliance of Triolets single-vineyard vintage wine, but this is an incredibly rich, bready, complex and satisfying mouthful of mature Champagne flavor for only $35. The Washington Post calls it a riveting Champagne and a steal. Our price is not only the lowest anywhere for this wineits also lower than any US retail for Triolets most basic non-vintage Brut! Triolet, by the way, says this is his own personal favorite of his Champagnes, though he admits the 2005 Vieilles Vignes is his greatest accomplishment.
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Other Whites on Sale

From a dazzling $15 Sauvignon Blanc (now $7.99) to a secret Marcassin at the best price anywhere, theres lots of fun (like Bukettraube!) and useful (like Bukettraube) stuff in here.

2009 FAIRVALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC Reg. $15/$7.99 sale

One of only five wines wine writer Natalie Maclean singled out as tasting twice as expensive as it isat $15. Also perhaps the best wine yet from one of South Africas first black owned and Fairtrade wineries. A Wine Enthusiast Best Buy as well. They call it: A light weight, clean and refreshing wine thats a perfect choice for grilled chicken salads and crabcakes over frisee. Wet grass, underripe nectarine, lemonlime citrus and green gooseberry along with accents of white lilly florals fill the nose and palate. We actually find it combines the freshly pungent intensity of a New Zealand Sauvignon with an additional earthy complexity. Not everyone admires this more grassy and pungent style of Sauvignon Blancbut for those who do, this is simply an astonishing value.

2011 CEDERBERG BUKETTRAUBE Reg. $18.99/$12.99 sale

On the (novel) theory that less is more, Ill only say that this may be the coolest wine in our list. (Ill go into greater detail in our next catalog, which will have a Focus on South Africa.) The regular price I quote here is what it sells for elsewhere in town. Ill also use Tanzers quote on the 2010, as there isnt one yet on this 2011. This 2011 is similar, but just a touch drier and more powerful, and with slightly higher acidity. Tanzer says:
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Pale yellow. Come hither aromas of peach, lime blossom and honeysuckle; rather muscat-like. Tactile and slightly sweet but not at all heavy, with perfectly integrated acidity framing and lifting the flavors of white peach, ripe citrus fruits and anise. Finishes long, with mouthcleansing acidity. Serve with spicy foods, as you might use a Riesling, or enjoy it on its own; in South Africa, its often paired with Cape Malay cuisine.

Cederbergs vineyard one of the most remote in South Africa. He rates it outstanding, and quotes the average retail price at $23.99. I suspect that like German Rieslings, this will appeal to both the most and the least sophisticated of wine consumerswhich makes it even cooler. Do you want to impress a sommelier?

2010 TURK GRUNER VELTLINER WEINBERGE Reg. $19.99/$14.99 sale

A serious yet unusually rarified, intense and refined Gruner Veltliner, from old vines in two of the finest vineyards of Krems. The 2009 vintage actually won Worlds Best Dry White Wine of over 4100 wines from 29 countries in the San Francisco International Wine Competition. But this 2010 in a vintage of remarkably high quality, where even Gruner Veltliners boasted Riesling-like acidity and mineral traits (David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate) is even finer. The next-best US retail price is $18.99.
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2009 TURK RIESLING WEINZEIRBERG Reg. $24.99/$16.99 sale

From Turks top single vineyard and oldest vines, this is an even more serious winecombining the richness of the vintage with utterly brilliant definition and cut. This wine spends a very long time on its lees, and even at only 12.6% alcohol, could compete with all but the grandest Wachau Rieslings several times its price. There are no US listings on Wine-Searcher, but the Worlds best price (in the Czech Republic) is $21.21. And I suspect their shipping cost would be prohibitive.

2007 VERGET SAINT-VERAN Clos de Poncetys Reg. $39.99/$19.99 sale

I put this in with the other whites rather than the Guffens white Burgundies because I realized we needed a Chardonnay in hereand this is simply the best Chardonnay from anywhere at anywhere near this price. Besides, Ive always maintained that while Guffens makes great white Burgundies, Verget (his negociant operation) just makes great Chardonnays. And this is undeniably a great Chardonnay.

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That said, Guffens actually purchased this vineyard in 2007 so its essentially a domain wine. Indeed, starting in 2008, its labeled as such. And its clearly not only the finest of the Verget Saint-Verans (probably ever), but better (and rated better) than his Pouilly-Fuisses! Burghound, for instance, rates it 90-92 (sky high for himand equal to the top Guffens Pouilly-Fuisse in 2007!), saying: The most elegant of this Saint-Veran group, delivering an aromatic profile of fresh, bright and quite pure nose of white peach, citrus and acacia blossom notes that complement perfectly the rich, full and detailed flavors brimming with dry extract and culminating in a beautifully intense and long finish. Terrific quality. Tanzer rates it outstanding, too, pricing it at $44. Guffens says this extraordinary vineyard, with a very stony and chalky soil and a perfect Southern exposure, is the single best vineyard in the Maconnais outside of Pouilly-Fuisse, giving a well-balanced wine with great density and a fine minerality. With its 75-year-old vines, Guffens calls it the Batard-Montrachet of Saint-Veran. In fact, he had coveted this vineyard so much, he refused to identify it until he had purchased it.

2007 MARTINELLI THREE SISTERS CHARDONNAY Reg. $69.99/$54.99 sale

Many people know that Helen Turley makes both the Marcassin and Martinelli wines. What many dont know but Parker explains in his Worlds Greatest Wine Estates is the Three Sisters Chardonnay vineyard was planted and managed by Turley for Martinelli and its wine is split 50/50 between Martinelli and Marcassin. Same grapes, same winemaking, same wines. Different labels. But while the Marcassin sells for $250, the Matinelli is usually about $70. And we now have the spectacular 2007 vintage of this wine the best ever at the best price anywhere, only $54.99. How spectacular? Well, Parker just posted an Executive Wine Cellars tasting on his website where the Marcassin bottling of 2007 Three Sisters beat not only Marcassins own 2007 Estate Chardonnay (a Parker 99+), but also Kongsgaards The Judge, Kistlers Hyde, Auberts Ritchie and Peter Michaels Belle Cote. Its THAT good!
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Our tasting, by the way, was consistent with that of the EWS (though we didnt have such fancy comparison wines!). It was certainly far more like a great grand cru white Burgundy enormously rich yet also very light on its feet, long, complex and refined than any Martinelli Chardonnay Ive ever had. And just about as perfect as California Chardonnay gets.

Plus One Dry Rose...

The conventional wisdom is that Rose is just a summertime wine. But I cant think of any wine better suited to the Thanksgiving or really virtually any meal. Which I suppose is why Food & Wine has recommended the Lorenza Rose (a staff favorite there) with everything from fried chicken to pan roasted pork chops. But Ill go with the flow, and put this on sale anyway.

2010 LORENZA ROS Reg. $19.99/$9.99 sale

The Sommeliers Journal echoed the versatility theme here, naming this one of their Wines of the Year, and saying: a spicy, floral and completely alluring glass that is bone dry and an amazing partner to everything on the table. It is also the easiest to pair because its delicious with virtually everythingThis is by far one of the most fun wines of the year. The extremely serious DISHology also called it an exciting discovery! It was one of their top six Rose recommendations, along with wines like Radio Coteaus County Line and Gary Pisonis Lucy. They even found it a wonderful complement to oysters. Vogue, of course, likes it, toomainly, I suspect, for the label. (Which features Lorenzas owner, Michele Ouellet.)

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Other Reds on Sale

Here we have a knockout Syrah at a giveaway price for what it is, a topnotch Napa Cabernet blend at a price that demands discretion, a clutch of superb value Pinot Noirs and the best wines yet from both Belle Glos and Mollydooker. Wow.

2007 POWERS COUGAR SYRAH RESERVE Reg. $24.99/$17.99 sale

In some ways, I think this Reserve Syrah only the second ever from Powers is even more impressive than their Reserve Cabernets. As Jeff Lawson, who rated it 93 points, said, its an incredible Syrah that is multi-layered in flavor and hauntingly beautiful in the glass. It was also the #1 Syrah in Northwest Wines Best of the Best tasting of 52 top Washington Syrahs. (Almost all of them far more expensive than this.) But perhaps most impressive is its performance in our own blind tastingswhere it came out ahead of the best-ever Shafer Relentless! Its also less than half the price of ANY Washington (or really American) Syrah remotely in its class. Especially now, at the best price anywhere. The average on Wine-Searcher is $25.

Dont forget to sign up for our e-mail offers! We send very detailed descriptions of the most exciting and best value wines we can find daily. Check us out at www.westgatewinestore.com

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2009 TAMBER BEY RABICANO inquire for pricing

Occasionally well agree not to publish our prices so we dont antagonize the wineries, our distributors, other storeseverybody but you. This is one of those times. Even by Napa standards, Tamber Bey is about as ambitious and as pedigreed as it gets. The vineyard, on the Stags Leap side of Yountville, was planted and is managed by Josh Clark. The wine is made by Thomas Brownwho, among (many) other superstar wines, makes Schrader. He was the first winemaker to ever make two Parker 100-point Cabernets for the same winery in the same year. This wine, Tamber Beys top Bordeaux blend (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot) just gets better every year. Even in the difficult 2008 vintage, it was superb, earning some huge reviews on CellarTracker. This 2009 vintage is quite clearly the best Rabicano to date. A Cabernet blend which as the winery says marries power and grace. It sells for $53 at the winery. The average price online is $49. Our price is somewhat less. Just give us a call.

2009 PALI RIVIERA PINOT NOIR Reg. $19.99/$16.99 sale

Theres been such a flood of great press for these Pali wines that its hard to know where to begin. The Connoisseurs Guide calls Palis Sonoma Coast offering one lovely Pinot Noir. The Sommeliers News says it swells with character and style. And the LA Times says at this price, this is a bottle thats hard to beat! Even the normally quite stingy Pinot Report gives it 92 points, saying: Bright, spicy red cherry aromas; rich, ripe bright cherry flavors with spicy, toasty note; silky texture, good structure and balance; long finish. Bright, silky Pinot with a lot of nice flavors.
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But the best testament to how uniquely pure, delicious and above all authentic these Pali Pinots are came in a recent chat board discussion of Good Pinots for $20 which ended up, as one commentator put it, sounding like a Pali love-in. These really do offer both unique quality and appeal as well as unique finesse and class for $20 Pinot Noirs. And at only $16.99 the best price ANYWHERE perhaps no other Pinots can touch them.

2009 PALI HUNTINGTON PINOT NOIR Reg. $19.99/$16.99 sale

From top Santa Barbara sites, this is an even richer, spicier and more complex offering. Tanzer, in fact, preferred it, saying this is extremely easy to drink and would be a great foil for ribs or brisket. And when Jillian asked recently what would go best with salmon, I didnt hesitate: Pali Huntington. She loved it. Is this better than the Riviera? Maybe. Its been the slight preference of our customers. But why pick? Both are wonderful.

2009 FORIS PINOT NOIR Reg. $19.99/$16.99 sale

Of the 19,402 Pinot Noirs Tanzers International Wine Cellar (THE authority on great Pinot Noir) has reviewed, this is the ONLY one with an outstanding rating at this price. They say: Deep red. Dark berries and cherry on the powerful, fruit-driven nose and in the mouth. Juicy and expansive, with very good clarity and breadth and appealing sweetness. Notes of boysenberry and cherry liqueur linger on the long, spice-accented finish. No shortage of fruit here; this is easily the best basic Foris Ive ever had. Both Parker and Tanzer rate it the best Foris Pinot ever and better than every vintage of their far more expensive Maple Ranch bottling but 2009. Its also, with its intricacy and perhaps more Burgundian earth and spice nuances, a wonderful comparison to the other sweeter and more juicy Pinot Noirs here.
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2011 BELLE GLOS MEIOMI PINOT NOIR Reg. $24.99/$17.99 sale

When I finally have that back operation, it will probably be from schlepping so many cases of this out to peoples cars. It is, after all, BY FAR the richest, fullest, most velvety-smooth (this stuff is too plush to be described as silky), sumptuous and satisfying Meiomi Pinot to date. One gets the sense that Joseph Wagners earlier efforts were just finding the rangewith this salvo he finally struck home. Now if I can just remember how to spell it

2011 BELLE GLOS LAS ALTURAS PINOT NOIR Reg. $49.99/$39.99 sale
As good as the Meiomi is, this one turns up the flavor the sheer succulent layers of velvety Pinot goodness - to eleven. (Or twelve.) Phenomenally dark, rich and sumptuous yet still the purest, most velvety and simply gorgeous Belle Glos Pinot to date, theres no wonder it enjoys the winerys top ratings ever among consumers. The Wine Spectator calls this deliciously rich, smooth and layered, and it is. But I would add that you could water this down by half and still probably have a knockout Pinot Noir. This is quite simply an essence. But one that nevertheless retains its typicity, purity and balance. As an indication of their commitment to this, the Pinot Noir ideal, Belle Glos is the only producer I know that puts the average daytime high temperatures for each of its vineyards (in this case 76.6 degrees during the 2010 growing season) on its labels. They are serious about delivering Pinots that both taste good and have good (or true) taste. If any Pinot can claim to be the Caymus Special Selection of the Belle Glos range, this would be the one! And like that wine, it will impress everyone from the casual wine drinker to the confirmed Pinotphile.

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The Best-Ever Mollydooker Shiraz

Mollydooker made a huge splash among Australian wine lovers with its Parker 99-Point 2005 Carnival of Love Shiraz. The new Aussie wine critic for the Wine Advocate, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, just re-tasted this 2005 and scored it 98 pointsher highest score for any Shiraz under $200 (and the same as the 2006 Grange and $1200 Penfolds Bin 620). It now sells for an average of $193. But winemaker Sparky Marquis says, 2010 was a dream yeareasily our best vintage to date. And his 2010 Carnival of Love is an even bigger, richer, more concentrated and ultimately better Shiraz than the famous 2005. In fact, it looks to be as Sparky says the best Carnival of Love ever. And we now have it at the best price ANYWHERE!

2010 MOLLYDOOKER CARNIVAL OF LOVE SHIRAZ Reg. $99.99/$69.99 sale

Sparky says: Hand selected as our best parcel of Shiraz this year, this wine is an enchanting experience as it displays a pure expression of all the flavors and nuances you would look for in a great Shiraz. Its bouquet is full of chocolate, licorice, allspice, and blackberry fruit with aromatics that go right through to the back of your mouth. With layers of espresso, raisin and chocolate intermixed with toasty vanilla oak, this mouth-filling blockbuster is opulent and elegant. The palate is incredibly silky and creamy and the wine will linger in your mouth for minutes after you tasted it. What particularly strikes me is this has both the most richness and concentration of any Carnival of Love to date, as well as the best structure (and lowest pH). Of all the 2010 Mollydookers, this one is clearly in it for the long haul. Yet its surprisingly luscious and even silky-rich and seductive already. The Wine Spectator, which named it one of their Top 100 Wines last year, describes it well: Dense, rich and distinctive, this is superplush and complex, yet also approachable, wrapping its black cherry, cassis, licorice and roasted meat flavors on a supple, velvety frame. Finishes long and creamy in texture. Drink now through 2020.
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Shattered by the New Orin Swift!

Orin Swifts Dave Phinney made his reputation and his fortune with his immensely popular old-vine Zinfandel blend The Prisoner. But he has a wine out now with his friend Joel Gott thats from from even older vines, and FAR lower yields, and that blows even The Prisoner away. And with the debut vintage of his Shatter producing only 6000 cases, or less than a tenth The Prisoners production, Phinney reports that many of his biggest markets sold their total allocations in less than a day! We were lucky enough to get a decent chunk of this extraordinary new wine, and have it at the lowest price in the State. (The only other NC price is $32.99most US stores charge $34.99.) While it lasts

The ancient Grenache vineyards of Maury.

2010 SHATTER by ORIN SWIFT $29.99/$27.99 by the case

I have to confess that when I first read the article in Food & Wine about Dave Phinney discovering the incredible old vineyards of Maury, my initial reaction was there goes the Roussillon. And this wine may very well prove me right. That is, it could easily do for the Roussillon what Clos Erasmus did for the Priorat.
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Indeed, Maury and the Priorat are in many ways similar. Both have ancient Grenache vines growing in meager schist soils. But the yields are even lower in Phinneys Maury vineyards just a half-ton an acre, and critically, theres a rare substratum of Cretaceous limestone here. (Which James Wilson explains, in his excellent book Terroir, is one of the slabs from the overbuilt Pyrenees which slid down the mountainside.) So despite the enormous richness and concentration here theres a vibrancy, penetration and even finesse Californias old-vine field blends no matter how good simply cant match. As Phinney said of his inaugural Maury wine, a 2009 blend of Grenache with Carignan and Syrah: Its is a serious, serious wine. I would put this up against any wine from anywhere. (Hes never lacked for confidence.) The pure Grenache 2010 Shatter, though in the Roussillon vintage of a generation (and the best in Parkers chart) is an absolute essencenot only of wine, but of what ancient-vine Grenache in Maury (and in Phinneys hands) can do. Id love to compare it in a decade or so not only to Californias best old-vine blends (and not just The Prisoner), but also to some really top-level Chateauneuf-du-Papes. Of course, what really clinches the deal here is the (remarkably reasonable) price. There are now quite a few $100-plus wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon (including Gaubys Muntada, from the next-door village of Calce). But this wine, despite its great impact (and the fanciest, heaviest bottle Ive seen) isnt one of them. And its hard to imagine this wine will remain so reasonable for long. Not with the press and the consumer reaction it will certainly get. The name Shatter, by the way refers to what the French call coulure, a condition which drastically reduces yields, and to which Grenache is particularly prone. But this will also shatter many preconceptions of just what a $30 red wine can be.

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Introducing Julien Schaal...

Ive been pursuing Julien Schaal since before we even opened. In fact, two of our most successful South African producers, first Newton-Johnson and then Paul Cluver, we only found because their cellars were where Schaal made his wines. And FINALLY, weve managed to convince Cluvers importer (whos based in Mooresville) to bring Schaal into the USjust for us. Why the excitement? Well basically, not only is Schaal by far the hottest and most brilliant young winemaker in South Africa, he may very well be the most brilliant and exciting young winemaker in France. (We cant wait to offer his Alsatian grand crus!) Recently, Schaal was invited by Le Figaro magazine to participate in a tasting of the best wines from Frances flying winemakers wines made outside of France by the likes of Michelle Rolland (Harlan Estate, among others), Pierre Lurton (Cheval Blanc and Yquem) and Christian Moeiux (Petrus). But it was Schaal, the youngest in the competition by a good thirty years, who took home the Coup de Coeur for his 2008 Elgin Syrah. Tanzer loved this wine as well, and also gave Schaals brilliant 2009 his top South African Chardonnay score ever. But this 2010 Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Syrah, from a warmer (though still very cool for South Africa) spot, is MUCH richer and more complete. Indeed, its absolutely Hermitage-like in both its aromas and flavorsand in its grandeur. In fact, when I finally had the chance to taste this with the importer, it exceeded my (considerable) expectationsconsiderably. As soon as we sniffed it, we both just laughed. (That little laugh of recognition, and astonishment, I find most wine people involuntarily do when they taste something great.) Virtually every South African red Ive ever tasted has to some degree had a distinctive note that ranges from a slight tarriness at best to burnt rubber at worst. But this smelled and tasted almost exactly like a top-notch Northern Rhone. No tar, no rubberjust the purest, most fragrant and archetypal Syrah outside of Hermitage or Cote-Rotie. Schaal has been
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dubbed the Savoir of South African Syrahmainly due to the incredible quality and purity of this singular wine. It sets a new standard, but in the most old-fashioned way. Not only does this wine raise the bar for South African Syrah its quite simply the Worlds best Syrah for the money. Or as South African wine writer Neil Pendock puts it, to say Schaals wines are competitively priced is like saying Albert Einstein was good at math. There are South African Syrahs (or Shirazes) that cost five times as much as thisbut none are any better.

2010 JULIEN SCHAAL HEMEL-EN-AARDE SYRAH $24.99/$19.99 by the case

How does Schaal do it? He picks his Syrah grapes during the coolest part of the day, double-sorts them, ferments with wild yeasts (which he describes as akin to base-jumping) and ages the wine in 900-liter barrels he has specially made in Burgundy. All transfers are by gravity, and the wine is only minimally sulfered and bottled unfiltered. British wine writer Sarah Ahmed finds this darker, riper and fleshier than its cooler climate predecessor, with wonderfully juicy black berry and cherry fruit, black pepper and violets supported by fine tannins. Lovely perfume and lift. Very complete. We have only 60 six-packs of Schaals inaugural export to the USwhich our importer had to liberate from the Belgians! Hopefully there will be more in 2011. Its also sold out everywhere else in the World (the demand for Schaal being rabid in both South Africa and Europehes even becoming the one South African fixture in top French restaurants) except one English merchantand ours is the best price anywhere. Not that this should particularly matter Schaals wines surpassing those many times their prices already. Along with Fabre Montmayous Pretty Malbec, this is simply the most exciting wine weve yet offered. And truth be told, I may be even more excited about this one.
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Worlds Best Chardonnay Under $25

The only South African wine in this list as well be doing a special all South African catalog in a few weeks. But we had to include this here. The 96-point 2009 Cluver Chardonnay was a worldwide sensationbut this even richer 2010 (from far lower yields) surpasses it. Not only has every critic to review it so far (Decanter, the International Wine Review, the judges at the World Wine Awards) found it Outstanding theyve all called or rated it the Worlds single best Chardonnay under $25! Cluvers vineyard in Elgin, South Africa. As always, whats so utterly remarkable here is how it packs in so much almost uncannily Burgundian Chardonnay flavor - or as the Platter Guide puts it, chic, polished splendor - in such a lithe, low-alcohol (only 13%), high acid (pH of 3.18) frame. This is quite simply as sophisticated as Chardonnay getsanywhere.

2010 PAUL CLUVER CHARDONNAY $19.99/$16.99 by the case

Theres been so much critical acclaim for this wine, we cant begin to quote it all. But I actually think one of our customers a white Burgundy drinker best described just what renders Cluvers Chardonnay so uniquely special: The kind of rich that makes you want to swirl the wine around your palate so the actual experience is prolongedthis wines structure and integrity show in its firm acidity, softening middle palate and long, simmering farewellrecalls the heft and multifaceted delights of great Burgundiesthis stunner delivers more than anyone should reasonably expect. This is no simple wine and at this price is a steal. No wonder Cluver is one of the hottest wineries and this Chardonnay one of the hottest wines at the Countrys finest restaurants now.
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Tastings & Events

Paul Cluver Comes to Town!
On Sunday, September 16th, from 4:00 to 6:00, Paul Cluver will present a range of his extraordinary South African wines in the store. Not only are these by BY FAR the most popular South African wines weve soldtheyre some of the best and certainly best value wines weve offered from anywhere. And Im told that Cluver is a particularly engaging host. This tasting will be informal: come anytime between 4:00 and 6:00.

A Special Tasting of Our Very Top Wines

On Thursday, September 27th, from 6:30 to 8:00, we will offer a very special seated winetasting featuring ten of our very best wines. These will include the 2010 Mollydooker Carnival of Love, 2007 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet and some other top French, California and perhaps other wines. (Basically the best wines we have then, or the best we can findwe promise theyll all be fancy.) The cost of this tasting is $25 per person, which you may apply towards any case of wine (fancy or not) you purchase that night. Spaces for this tasting will be limited, though, so please call us to reserve a spot if you want to come.

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WINE
Great Burgundies and Rhones on Sale (Page 6) Our Top Napa Cabernets on Sale (Page 1) Exciting New Orin Swift Project (Page 24)

6405 Westgate Road, Suite 115 Raleigh, NC 27617 (919) 787-4290 M-F: 10 AM - 6 PM SAT: 12 PM - 6 PM

www.westgatewinestore.com sales@westgatewinestore.com

Special Tasting of Our Top Wines (Page 28)

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