When Size Matters
Large format bottles are undeniably the best way to preserve and age wine. It just so happens that they also look cool as hell. Show up to your Peking Duck BYOB with a BIG bottle and everyone will take notice. Rooftop BBQs in the Summer just get better with 1500ml of Rosé.
We have a lot of great options in Large Format the shop from casual to collector.
Condado de Haza "Alenza" 1995 (1.5L) $209.99 very limited supply
A very special wine made by Alejandro Fernandez, retired today but one of the most iconoclastic winemakers of all time, named after a combination of his name and his beloved wife, Esperanza. Made as a Gran Reserva only in incredibly special vintages. Aged in American barriques for 23 months, whole-cluster, and crushed by foot. Rustic and truly indicative of classic Spanish aged wine-this shows smoky spices, cigar box, cocoa, and sweet earth. Those that have been lucky enough to taste older wines from Bodegas Pesquera know that haunting beauty that develops with a bit of time in the bottle. Like a siren call of dried cherries and leather. It begs for slowly braised rabbit or succulent cuts of filet mignon with a wild mushroom reduction.
Envínate " Viña de Aldea Lousas" 2015 (1.5L) $69.99 very limited supply
Humbly considered a "village wine" from 60+ year old plots of mostly Mencía vines handmade by a group of four friends in Ribeira Sacra, Galicia. Traditionally crushed by foot, only spontaneous wild yeasts (ie: nothing commercial or factory-farm about this process). 40% whole clusters and resting in (large) older oak barrels make these wines less reductive and brings forth the beauty of this region and grape: black pepper, pomegranate, herbs, and tiny berries in a wet brambly-bush. We love these wines. Everyone loves these wines (which is why they have become some of the most hard to find bottles these days!) We have {1} Magnum of this in stock, and a few 750mls. I would drink this red wine at the beach, it is THAT DELICIOUS. You could also be civilized and drink it with fire-charred Pulpo with soft potatoes, grilled corn and white beans.
Bodegas Vega Sicilia "Aliòn" 2012 (1.5L) $209.99
The wines crafted under the umbrella of Vega Sicilia are nothing short of spectacular. Having visited the Bodega earlier this year in person, we can attest to the rigorous selection and attention to every and all details. Aliòn, in comparison to their other wines, tends to be one on high demand. There is a distinct type of freshness and elegance here, and aging in the Magnum format just helps it along even further. You could certainly drink this now--it has been aged in Bordeaux oak barrels for 14 months with additional time resting in the bottle. Deliciously floral on the nose, with savory rosemary, leather, and spice in the background. Fine, yet firm, tannins slide over your palate and provide the structure to dance with a dinner of oven-roasted pheasant with sage, rosemary potatoes, and guanciale.
López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja 2004 (1.5L) $114.99
