If I Could Buy Only One – December 14th Vintages Release

We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from the December 14th release, which one would it be and why?”

Tasca D’almerita Regaleali Lamùri 2020, Sicily, Italy
$21.20, Vin Passion (The Case For Wine)
David Lawrason – This is not only my “best buy” of the December 14 release, this producer gets my vote for Italian Winery of the Year. The Case for Wine has done a great job populating Vintages shelves with the Tasca D’Almerita Regaleali range – including this beauty, two terrific bargain whites (2023 Bianco and 2023 Grillo), a mid-priced Rosso del Conte, and a range of more expensive Etna Rosso Contradas (cru). Many of these are still available, and I urge you to seek them out. The winemaking is splendid all ‘round. This is a delicious, mild-mannered and ready to roll nero d’avola, made in a light-hearted fruity style. Expect lifted aromas of candied cran-cherry fruit, botanicals, fennel and nutmeg spice. It is open knit, soft, warm and generous, with fine tannin. The length is excellent. I think it would be smashing with the Holiday turkey, and the leftovers.

Domaine Bellavista 20 Ans D Age Ambres Rivesaltes 1999, France
$20.00, Appellation Wines
John Szabo – My last ‘only one’ of the year is aimed squarely and year-end celebrations and gatherings when there’s a chill outside and warmth inside. Domaine Bellavista 20 Ans D Age Ambres Rivesaltes 1999 is the fortified and long-aged product of grenache gris and maccabeu grown in the deep south of France, full of salted caramel flavours. Complexity is off the charts in the price category, and it’s sweet but not cloying (in the Vin Doux Naturel category), a perfect post prandial sipper, or afternoon draught when friends stop by for wine and cheese, or sweets. And 1999 vintage for $22?” Happy holidays.

Lawson’s Dry Hills Inviniti Pinot Noir 2022, Marlborough, New Zealand
$18.20, The Independent Wine Company
Sara d’Amato – A versatile, festive-table-friendly pinot noir with crowd-pleasing character sourced from the Marlborough estate’s Wairau Valley vineyard. An engaging, juicy, and crushable pinot noir with plenty of personality. Complex, lively and notably salty with feathery tannins and firm red fruit that is not marred by any oak. An excellent value, ready to drink with memorable length. Packaged in a lightweight bottle made of 60% recycled material, certified sustainable and carbon neutral. 

Inama I Palchi Grande Cuvée Foscarino Soave Classico 2023  Veneto, Italy
$79.95, ROY + CO. SELECTIONS INC.
Michael Godel – Outside of the most famous white wine producing regions in the world, as in Bourgogne and Burgundy, the reasons to get excited about a bottle that costs $75 are few and far between. There are exceptions, from the Rhône Valley, Loire Valley, Hunter Valley, Ontario, Sicily’s Mount Etna and South Africa but an Italian volcanic terroir gives us this amazing example of the grape variety called garganega. That would be Inama I Palchi Grande Cuvée Foscarino Soave Classico DOC 2021 – I Palchi, as in the “stages,” a geographical term for a series of wide terraces aboard Monte Foscarino lined with pergolas of old garganega vines. In this case Inama’s highest level of Soave Classico meant to celebrate the ancients. As a surname it belonged to a cleric but also Antonio Foscarini (c. 1570 in Venice – 22 April 1622), member of the Venetian nobility, ambassador to Paris, London and later sentenced to death for high treason by the Council of Ten and executed. Yikes! This Foscarino ode is intended towards grapes and volcanic terroir for a bloody incredible garganega of substance and style. The ’21’s ability to attract and engage the taster’s attention is at the top of the Soave game. Fresh, flinty and wholly engaging. Mind-blowing actually. 
Megha Jandhyala – My “only one” this week is the Inama I Palchi Grande Cuvée Foscarino Soave Classico 2021. It is an exquisite and uncommon Soave Classico, made with a selection of the best old-vine garganega. The grapes were sourced from vines growing in pergolas on wide terraces on Monte Foscarino, in volcanic soils, rich in basaltic lava. Once harvested, they are left on their skins for about 8 hours before being crushed and then fermented, one portion in barriques, another in large oak vessels, and the smallest proportion in stainless steel. An excellent site, old vines, and careful winemaking come together here to create a special wine that mediates between opulence and restraint in a memorable way. I love the dense and voluptuous, yet firm and lithe palate, the perfumed notes of white flowers and stone fruit, and the delicate aromas of wet stones and flint. This is a wine for someone who likes or is curious about white wines with the capacity to age, though of course, it is beautiful now. I would buy a few bottles of this for my cellar, if I were you. 

Use these quick links for access to all of our December 14th Top Picks in the New Release. Non-premium members can select from all release dates 30 days prior.
John’s Top Picks – December 14th
Lawrason’s Take – December 14th
Megha’s Picks – December 14th
Michael’s Mix – December 14th
Sara’s Selections – December 14th