With the closing of Sid’s Discount Liquors and Big Top Liquors, I thought I would put together a top 10 list of the closeout deals. I know there are some that I am missing as I did not always use Cellar Tracker to track all of my purchases. Please comment on your favorites.
Number 10
2001 Blue Rock Syrah – USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (11/30/2012)
This is one of the great wines on a closeout of all time. Black olives, spices, minerals and red fruits. Medium finish and still quite concentrated. A wonderful under the radar producer that just could not sell in Minneapolis. (92 points)
Cost: $8.00
Number 9
2012 Montes Syrah Folly La Finca de Apalta – Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (2/1/2020)
Day 1: Very nice. Was expecting a fruit bomb but not the case. Crushed pepper, bramble, blueberries, exotic spices and rose petals. Medium to long finish. Super concentrated wine and well made. This should age for another decade. 93 points
Day 2: Drinking well featuring plum, blueberries, crushed rock, bramble, spices and floral notes. Beautiful finish to this wine and decant acidity. A real winner for the under $40.00 I paid for it. 93 points
Day 3: Very similar to day 2 and this wine should drink well for a while.
Recommendation: Decant a few hours and enjoy or cellar until 2028. (93 points)
Cost: $35
Story: The last of the closeout deals just purchased last weekend at the Plymouth Sid’s.
Number 8
2008 L’Aventure Côte-à-Côte Estate – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (6/13/2013)
Medium purple. Charcoal, violets, crushed rock, minerals and spices. Not tannic but plenty of power. Medium plus finish and drinking well now. Should evolve over the next five years.
Day 2 Update: Underbrush, charcoal, violets, plush fruit and minerals. Very smooth wine and enjoyable.
Day 4: Much more earth driven with charcoal, smoke, chocolate, spices and dried prunes. This wine has really balanced out and not showing any heat. This is a long term ager much despite what Parker says. This is the best Cote-a-Cote I have tasted and not the over ripe, alcoholic bomb that Parker seems to favor. Upgrade to 93+ (93-95). (93 points)
Cost: $27.50
Number 7
2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Cold Creek Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (4/19/2019)
Day 1: This has been a really solid wine and last bottle. Plum, sour cherry, earth, soy, minerals and pencil lead. The best bottle of this lot from Sid’s. Outstanding wine. 93 points
Day 2: Excellent again. Bell pepper, cherry, soy, earth, pencil lead and minerals. Medium plus finish and balanced. It is almost like they put a $60 plus bottle in this one. The best of the Cold Creeks from the vintage I have sampled. 93 points (93 points)
Cost: $16.50
Number 6
2014 Jamsheed Syrah Harem Series La Syrah – Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley (3/15/2019)
Day 1: Good acidity and vibrant flavors. Rustic with raspberries, floral, underbrush and spice. Nice balanced effort and no off elements to this wine. Medium plus finish. 91 points
Day 2: Again good acidity. Rustic wine featuring floral, raspberries, boysenberries, underbrush, twigs and spice. Medium plus finish and rock solid again. 91 points
Day 3: Wow getting some Northern Rhone funk, spice, underbrush, raspberries and minerals. Medium plus finish and picks up some white pepper. Good acidity. Did this sky rocket up the point scale. 93 to 95.
Recommendation: Hold this until 2022. Had I not save this for 2 plus days I would have never got the evolution. Outstanding value for only $11 on my 3 Day Wine Review email blast. Only one smart wine drinker took advantage of this deals as I was happy to pick up the remaining bottles. (93 points)
Cost: $10.00
Number 5
2010 Ardal Tradicion Ribera del Duero Reserva Selección Especial – Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (12/1/2018)
Day 1: Great close out pricing on this one. Too low to show. A bit more rustic than the last bottle which was from WTSO. Forest floor, leather, pencil lead and subtle spices. Still has the nice fruit profile but not as present. Medium plus finish and good acidity. Really balanced wine. 92 points
Day 2: In a good place today with a more rustic presence. Raspberries, floral, leather, pine needles and celery. Medium plus finish. Great acidity and a real winner! A bit better than day 1. 93 points
Day 3: Not quite as good as day 2 but still quite tasty. 90 points
Recommendation: This is a wine I would not age for five plus years. Drink this now to 2022 and enjoy. It has been good on a pop and pour up to 4 days on some of the bottles sampled. (93 points)
Cost: $10.00
Story: Paid $21.99 from WTSO and got over a case of this for $10.00. Excellent Spanish value.
Number 4
2003 Wolf Blass Shiraz Platinum Label – Australia, South Australia, Barossa (12/1/2010)
Drinking really well right now with floral, minerals, blueberries and jam. Not a fruit bomb at this stage but an elegant, smooth wine that I would advise drinking in the next 2 years. (93 points)
Cost: $20.00
Story: This is an $80.00 wine and drank well over the course of a few years.
Number 3
2001 Clos Mogador Priorat Manyetes – Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (10/14/2010)
Medium in color and a lot of life left in this one. Spice, leather, earth, and dark fruits showing through. A balanced wine and I did decant and filter out the sediment. Solid finish and drinking really well right now. (93 points)
Cost: $20.00
Story: One of the best names in Priorat. While this is not their top wine in their portfolio its was an excellent offering.
Number 2
2004 Andrea Oberto Barolo Vigneto Albarella – Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (11/17/2009)
Wow this is one of the best Barolo wines I have ever tasted with cassis, mint, floral, oak, vanilla, and earth on this massively long finishing wine. Full of flavor and will age for 20 years. (95 points)
Cost: $14.00
Story: Tasted at an Italian tasting note a week earlier and wine of the tasting. Almost bought a six pack at $65.00 a bottle. Patience prevailed!!!
Number 1
2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese – Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (1/6/2014)
Stunning wine with vibrant aromas. Peach, slate, floral, orange marmalade and subtle spices. Long finish and complex. Enjoy now or hold but outstanding effort! (94 points)
2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese – Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/27/2011)
Apricots, honey, floral and peach on the nose. The palate is thick and shows a beautiful streak of acidity along with honey, baked apples, peach and floral notes. Not a lot of minerality. Medium finish and drinking well now but I will hold the rest of these for at least five years. (92 points)
Cost: $7.00
Story: A friend of mine was going to a tasting in Minneapolis and happened to stop in Big Top St. Paul and saw these wines in the bin. Now I would have skipped the tasting and loaded all of the cases of the 2007 Joh. Jos Prum wines they had. They had Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese wines. No telling how many cases they had but I did at least get around 5 cases.
Honorable Mention
2005 L’Aventure Optimus – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (11/12/2014)
While a new world style blend one can’t deny the exciting flavor profile of spices, flint, blueberries and crushed rocks. Medium plus finish and reviewed on day 2. (91 points)
$20.00
2005 Walter Hansel Winery Chardonnay Estate – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (5/3/2010)
Medium gold. Nose spices, oak, vanilla, carmel and pear. On the palate nice use of oak, vanilla, spices, carmel and pear. Medium and concentrated finish. Really balanced. (91 points)
Cost: $5.00 (Some great some not but it was $5.00.
1998 Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda – Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (6/9/2013)
Day 3 review and mellowed out with spices, pine needles, raspberries and damp earth. Medium finish and good acidity. Still has a long life ahead and I can see where this would not be everyone’s style of Barolo. More old word in nature. (92 points)
Cost: $20.00
2003 Guy Bernard Côte-Rôtie – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (3/24/2011)
A nice wine with a rustic edge. Floral, white pepper, earth, Garrique and raspberries come together to create an enjoyable experience. Drink now or hold five. (91 points)
Cost: $20.00
Great list!
Gary I know I missed a few but this is what I have records for!