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 Welcome.
Today's Featured Offer: Debuting 2011 Guidalberto and Pavelot 2011 Burgundies, and Sandrone Benchmark Six-Pack
May 23, 2013
A Note from Sergio
This
week, our eLetters have been a celebration of Bolgheri Super Tuscans.
We began with a historical offer of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, the wine
that ignited the Super-Tuscan revolution in 1968. Then we debuted the
25th anniversary release of Ornellaia, an estate that's so close to
Tenuta San Guido that they're related by blood--Lodovico Antinori, the
original owner of the Ornellaia estate, now run by the Frescobaldi
family, was the nephew of Clarice della Gherardesca, who was married to
Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, the man who invented Sassicaia.
Yesterday,
we debuted the new Vermentino from Piero Antinori's Bolgheri estate,
Guado al Tasso. Piero is, of course, Lodovico's brother--and famously,
Piero lent Mario his winemaker, Giacomo Tachis, to help him realize his
dream Bordeaux-style blend, Sassicaia. These Bolgheri estates are so
related as to be nearly as tangled as vines. Great things have been born
of nepotism and shared DNA; these three vineyards are no exception. You
can meet, share wine and break bread with Piero Antinori at our Tinto
for TECHO winemaker dinner, an event that raises money for TECHO, a youth-led organization that helps people living in poverty in the Caribbean and South America; find more information here .
Tenuta
San Guido, Ornellaia, and Guado al Tasso--more than blood, these
vineyards share a commitment to making exceptional Italian wine. These
are producers who take their mentor's teachings to heart and
consistently produce exemplary, honest, old school wines. You know that
what you're buying is a wine that will age beautifully, steadily
increase in value, and drink like a dream when you uncork it. Today, I'm
delighted to close this tribute to Bolgheri Super Tuscans with Tenuta
San Guido's second wine, Guidalberto. The 2011 vintage, which we debut
today, might very well be the best Guidalberto. It holds the skill, the
knowledge and the passion of its makers, and it tastes delicious.
I'm
also very happy to offer the new releases from Burgundy's Pavelot. You
can't find these 2011 releases anywhere else, and they are
extraordinary. To complement them, I'm also featuring a six-pack of
Luciano Sandrone's traditional Barolo Le Vigne from 2007. Neither man
nor woman can live by Super Tuscans alone.
This
long weekend, I hope you get to spend some time with your family. Pour
one of these Super-Tuscan giants to share with them, and feel the warmth
and the love that, like wine, brings people together.
Today's Featured Sections Include:
1. Spotlight on Excellence: Possibly the Best Guidalberto Yet!
2. Time Sensitive Offer: Sandrone Benchmark 2007 Barolo Le Vigne
3. Our Experts Suggest: Refreshing, Palate-Drenching White Wines
4. Only At IWM: The Best Value in Burgundy?
5. Wine Events: A Taste of Antinori
My Best,
Sergio Esposito Owner/Founder
SPOTLIGHT ON EXCELLENCE

IWM
is proud to debut the 2011 vintage of Tenuta San Guido's Guidalberto
today, and we're especially happy to offer this wine at special
pre-arrival pricing.
Guidalberto,
the second wine of Sassicaia's maker Tenuta San Guido, has changed over
the years. Originally a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot with ten percent Sangiovese, Guidalberto began its evolution with
the 2005 vintage, reducing Sangiovese's contribution and increasing
Cabernet Sauvignon's (55 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 percent Merlot
and 5 percent Sangiovese). In so doing, it more closely reflected
Sassicaia's composition, making it a sibling not only in make-up but
also in grapes, since its Cabernet derives from Sassicaia's intended
allotment. In 2006, Guidalberto achieved the proportions it has kept to
this day: a 60/40 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend.
The
connection between Sassicaia and Guidalberto is a palpable one. While
Guidalberto holds to one of its defining ideals--namely, accessibility
upon release--it has grown more refined, polished and elegant. That
polish is immediately evident on the layered nose of red currant,
cherry, dried fruit, earth, and herbs, which carries over onto a
medium-bodied intense palate of dark red fruit, minerals, spices and
herbs. While not as aristocratic as its big brother, Guidalberto hews
close to Sassicaia, leaving the estate's third wine, Le Difese, to do
the job of the estate's everyday wine. And while Sassicaia may have been
inspired by Bordeaux blends, Guidalberto is often the preferred wine
for many Bordeaux lovers.
The
2011 vintage of Guidalberto will do nothing to pry those glasses away
from its adherents. Rather, it's likely to do the opposite. Tenuta San
Guido calls the 2011 growing season "truly exceptional," noting that
while it started cold and snowy, the spring was temperate and the summer
downright hot; however, nights were cool, and the ripening grapes
retained perfect acidity while attaining exceptional extraction. As
always, Guidalberto was fermented in temperature-controlled tanks and
aged in barriques for fifteen months; then it rested in bottles for
another three months before release.
Since
its inaugural vintage in 2000, Guidalberto has come a long way in the
space of a short time. The 2011 vintage may be its best yet. IWM always
sells out of this wine quickly, and given the special pre-arrival
pricing, we expect that the 2011 Guidalberto will sell more quickly than
usual. Contact your Portfolio Manager to secure yours.
(Italy, Tuscany- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese)
*Pre-Arrival, June 2013 |
TIME SENSITIVE OFFER
 The
prized Barolos of Luciano Sandrone sit alongside those of the highly
sought-after Barolos of Giacomo Conterno and a few other producers. For
the past twenty years, Sandrone's wines have been among the elite wines
of Piemonte. A master winemaker with holdings in some of the most
legendary plots in Barolo, including Cannubi Boschis, Barolo maker
extraordinaire Sandrone is often labeled a modernist because he opts for
the use of some new oak, and shorter aging requirements. However, he
also respects tradition, so like most true artists, Sandrone defies easy
categorization. Today, we're delighted to offer Sandrone's 2007 Barolo
Le Vigne, a favorite of both Luciano himself and IWM's clients. Why Buy This Wine: -
Some of the most sought-after Barolos ever produced are Luciano
Sandrone's masterpieces from the 1989 and 1990 vintages, and like 1990,
the 2007 vintage is a ripe vintage where Sandrone delivers an explosive
interpretation of Nebbiolo - While
we often spotlight Sandrone's more famous cru bottling, Cannubi
Boschis, the 2007 Sandrone Le Vigne arguably sits among the top ten or
so Barolo of the vintage, and it's easily one of the greats of its
eighteen-year history. -
Sandrone produces Le Vigne in a more traditional method, a cuvee made
from the Ceretta (Monforte), Vignane (Barolo), Merli (Novello) and
Conterni (Barolo) vineyards. -
In crafting his Barolos, Sandrone employs extreme green harvests to
produce restricted yields, uses only wild yeasts in fermentation, and
sometimes employs extended maceration; however, he also employs some new
oak, ages his wines for less time than tradition dictates, and he uses
500-liter French barrels, bigger than barriques but smaller than botti. -
A warm vintage like 2007 offers friendlier tannins with the classic
Sandrone succulent core of red fruit, accented by leather, spice, roses,
mint and eucalyptus. - This special pricing represents more than $400 dollars in savings on a case of this historic Barolo (Italy, Piemonte- Nebbiolo) This offer is valid for 72 hrs only and will expire on May 26th at 5:00pm EST.
OUR EXPERTS SUGGESTS
As
an IWM Portfolio Manager, Garrett Kowalsky has married his love of wine
with his background in finance and economics. A lover of many of the
world's wine-growing regions, Garrett acknowledges that Burgundy and
Barolo hold a special place in his heart.
Drinking Today:
Fantinel 2010 Sauvignon Sant'Helena
(Italy, Friuli- Sauvignon Blanc)
$24.99 Reg $22.99 Case Price/btl
For The Cellar:
Bonneau du Martray 2009 Corton-Charlemagne (1.5L)
(France, Burgundy- Chardonnay)
$359.99 Reg
For complete descriptions of the wines and an explanation of why Garrett selected these wines, please visit our expert's post at Inside IWM.
ONLY AT IWM
Along
with Simon Bize and Ecard, Pavelot's wines are among those that have
put Savigny-les-Beaune on the map. Even more exciting, these Savigny
wines may be one of the last values in Burgundy. When put up against
virtually all the competition, the wines of Pavelot simply have more of
everything: more richness, more detail, more expression, and more
enjoyment. Pavelot's wines are incredibly transparent, meaning that each
and every vineyard's unique terroir is not only noticeable but easily
evident, which makes buying the different bottlings a wonderful
experience in comparing and contrasting. Today, IWM is proud to debut
the 2011 releases of Pavelot; given our small allocations and the
discrete differences between appellations, we suggest you contact your
Portfolio Manager to help you secure the Pavelot wines best suited to
your palate.
Why Buy This Wine:
-
For the past twenty years, it might be all but impossible to find
another domaine in Savigny with the consistency of Pavelot; it's hard to
find a vintage when the wines are not delicious.
-
Clients who buy DRC, Vogue, Leflaive, etc. are some of the first to
grab Pavelot's wines; from an unbeatable everyday Red in the Savigny
A.C. to a serious "no-holds-barred" Red in the 1er Crus, these are pound
for pound, dollar for dollar, some of the greatest Burgundies made.
-
Although it is now obvious that the 2011 vintage provided terrific
fruit for virtually all vignerons, some domaine like Pavelot went above
and beyond to produce truly profound wine.
-
These rich, mouth-coating wines have as an incredible early appeal as
their '09 counterparts, but this vintage doesn't end there; they also
have striking depth and precision only found in the very finest
Savigny.
-
2011's yields were down at least 50 percent, and we received a smaller
than usual allocation of the 2011 Pavelots; IWM recommends that you
secure your choices soon.
-
IWM is the only merchant in the country where you can find these
outstanding new releases from one of Burgundy's last great
under-the-radar producers, Pavelot.
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune (375ml)
$20.99 Reg $19.31 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune
$39.99 Reg $36.79 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Les Guettes
$59.99 Reg $55.19 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Les Guettes (375ml)
$29.99 Reg $27.59 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets
$59.99 Reg $55.19 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune Les Serpentiers
$59.99 Reg $55.19 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Gravains
$62.50 Reg $57.50 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru La Dominodes
$64.99 Reg $59.79 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru La Dominodes (375ml)
$34.99 Reg $32.19 Case Price/btl
Pavelot 2011 Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru La Dominodes (1500ml) $129.99 Reg $119.59 Case Price/btl
*All Pre-Arrival, June 2013
WINE EVENTS

Saturday, June 1, 2013 1:00pm-3:00pm
$75.00
Celebrate
600 Years of Italian winemaking during this special tasting that
presents the Antinori properties in Bolgheri (Guado al Tasso), Chianti
Classico (Vigna Tignanello), Montalcino (Pian delle Vigne) and Umbria
(Castello della Sala). Guests will experience the ripe, new release of
Italy's iconic Super-Tuscan Tignanello, as well as the more finessed
flagship Solaia. But the Super-Tuscan tasting does not end in Chianti
Classico; it extends to the Tuscan coast and into Bolgheri with the 2008
Guado al Tasso, an interpretation that IWM considers to be among its
finest to date. And while it is easy to recognize the Antinori
contribution to these pioneering Reds, the estate also changed the face
of Whites and dessert wines. Experience the unique opportunity to
experience one of Italy's finest White in Antinori's Cervaro and the
estate's classic Italian dessert wine, Muffato. A history lesson has
never tasted so delicious, all brought to you by IWM in its world-famous
Studio del Gusto.
Tinto for TECHO
An exceptional fundraising dinner hosted by Marchese Piero Antinori
Tuesday, June 4, 2013 7:00pm
IWM and TECHO is delighted to invite you to Tinto for TECHO, an exceptional fundraising dinner hosted by Marchese Piero Antinori on June 4.
2013. The creator of iconic Super-Tuscan wine Tignanello in 1979, Piero
Antinori has changed the face of Italian wine. This event will feature
great Antinori wines, including the estate's game-changing Tignanello
and its Super-Tuscan siblings, Solaia and Guado al Tasso, as well as
Chardonnay great Cervaro della Sala and its sibling, Muffato. All
proceeds from the five-course winemaker dinner event will be donated to
TECHO, a youth-led non-profit organization. TECHO offers social
development programs in education, health, and housing to extreme
poverty communities in 19 countries across Latin America and the
Caribbean. This evening's goal is to raise $70,000 to build 35
transitional houses for families living in extreme poverty. Enjoy Piero
Antinori, his extraordinary wines, fine cuisine, and an intimate
gathering of like-minded individuals--all while helping others. It's an
event not to be missed. Invitation Click Here
For additional details please contact Juan at juan.delcerro@techo.org
Wine Events
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