Solera

The unique yeast that grows on top of the sherry protecting it from oxidation.

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Spanish term. A method of perpetually ageing wine in a “pyramid” of barrels. Wine for bottling drawn from the bottom layer. The barrels from this layer, are then topped from the next layer up, and so on until the top layer is reached. This layer is topped by fresh wine made that year. The barrels are typically left 5/6ths full. Each layer in a Solera is called a Criadera, or layers. Fino sherries will have 7 criadera, Manzanilla at least 9 and up to 20. Practically, wineries, simply place them in batches representing a criardera rather than building actual solera stacks. The image below shows the basics of how the system works.

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Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d’Alba Casa Vinicola 2022
Many of Barolo's greats would argue that you should judge a maker on their Dolcetto before their Nebbiolo! Giacosa does Dolcetto justice. The missing links for Dolcetto are typically sorting reduction and developing the wine sufficiently. Giacosa jumps those hurdles with ease and breezes past the finish line with quality fruit & considered handling to offer us a wine with a refined mouthfeel.Savoury, vibrant, dark, with an excellent core of fruit thirst-quenching and delicious. Straight
$70
$67ea in any 3+
$64ea in any 6+
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Domaine Roland Lavantureux Chablis 1er Cru 'Vau de Vey' 2021
“Pure mid yellow. Soft fruit on the nose. Lean with lemons and lime but enough volume of fruit with a salivatory fresh acidity behind, and very good length.”Jasper Morris 90-93 Points
$130
$125ea in any 3+
$120ea in any 6+
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Domaine SC Guillard Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Poissenot' 2019
Dripping with class!
‘Poissenot’ is situated above Lavaux St Jacques on the northern ridge of Gevrey. ‘Poissenot’ is situated above Lavaux St Jacques on the northern ridge of Gevrey. The Poissenot is deeply colored, the nose is deep and alluring with black fruits, spice and a lick of new wood. The palate is loaded with fine grained and deeply structured tannins that coat the entire palate. Dripping with class this wine will reward long cellaring. Drink 2030-2050Tom Carson
$305
$298ea in any 3+
$291ea in any 6+
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Weingut Nikolaihof Reid Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2018
This wine is from the ripest Smaragd classification.Thought to be the oldest documented vineyard, the name “Im Weingebirge”, Wine Mountains, dates back to the 5th Century. The wines from this vineyard are known to have impressive depth and minerality. The soil is varied with loess on the higher terraces and deep topsoil over primary rock lower down the slope. The wine ages on its lees in old barrels, giving it a creamy texture.The 2013 Baumpresse version of this was insane!A
$155
$148ea in any 3+
$141ea in any 6+
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