The great Syrahs of the Northern Rhône Valley are bold, full-bodied wines that seem to age indefinitely, and Chave’s ’61s were no exception. They are wines of great finesse and elegance with a firm structure that has preserved them over the past half-century.

This is a very rare and highly coveted bottle that will make turning 50 an unforgettable experience!

Dade Thieriot

A tiny chapel sits atop the famous Hermitage vineyard in the Northern Rhône.

We have four different wine subscription programs here at Dee Vine Wines.  They are all designed to expose our most curious customers to our most exciting wines and save them money on all of their purchases!

Subscribers enjoy two selected wines in each shipment at 20% off of regular pricing. As the primary benefit of membership, club subscribers also enjoy 20% off of all of their non-sale wine purchases. Standard 10% case discount pricing still applies for members’ already-discounted wines, so the total savings available are extremely high!

New club subscribers signing up this month would receive the following wines:

“German Discovery”, April 2011
(Two German wines totaling $60 after club discount, shipped monthly)

2009 Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling QbA trocken
Regular Price $28.00, Member Price $22.40
(90 Points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
A quintessential summer wine displays an aromatic, minerally, and generous profile in a dry white that is as good as the finest young Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc.

2005 Josef Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Auslese***
Regular Price $46.50, Member price $37.20
This late-harvested, middle-Mosel Riesling shows the benefit of the additional hang time of the grapes to achieve a concentration of extract that isn’t always present in 2005 auslese-level wines.

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“Old-World Discovery”, April 2011
(One German wine plus one French or Spanish wine totalling $60 after club discount, shipped monthly)

2009 Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling QbA trocken
Regular Price $28.00, Member price $22.40
This is the same selection as the “German Discovery” wine, described above.

1997 Can Ràfols dels Caus, Caus Lubis, Penedes
Regular Price $45.00, Member Price $36.oo
This deeply structured red from the Penedes region of Spain is a bottling of 100% Merlot.  At 14 years old, it is only now shedding enough tannins to genuinely enter its drinking window and reveal a very serious red.

“Finest Selections”, April/May, 2011
(Two wines totaling $150 after club discount, shipped every 2 months)

2007  von Hövel Scharzhofberger Auslese* GK Auction
Regular Price $105.00, Member Price $84.00
(95 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
This uncommonly fine and elegant auslese flew under the radar at the annual VDP auction in Trier. Hailing from the most esteemed vineyard in the Saar, this wine is an perfect example of the quality of the 2007 vintage.

2009 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Herrmannshöhle Spätlese
Regular Price $67.00, Member Price $53.60
(96 points, Robert Parker’s wine Advocate)
This spätlese is essentially a cult wine in the finest vintages such as 2009. From one of the finest estates in Germany and perhaps the finest vineyard in the Nahe, this wine offers a stunning profile of citrus and tropical fruit with herbal and floral overtones.

Dee Vine Wines’ club subscribers also enjoy added benefits such as discounts to tastings and special events.  Wine shipments can be temporarily held at our warehouse to consolidate orders and save money on shipping.

CLICK HERE to begin your club subscription today!

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1990 SCHLOSS REINHARTSHAUSEN, Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen
Riesling Auslese Auction, 750ml
Was $143.00/bottle, NOW JUST $99.00/bottle ($89 on 2+ bottles)

1990 COMTE ARMAND, Pommard
Clos des Epeneaux, 1500ml
(Robert Parker 94 points)
Was $600.00/bottle, NOW JUST $475.00/bottle ($425 on 2+ bottles)

In fact, I’ve yet hear of a wine region that did not succeed in making wonderful wines. The 1990 German Rieslings were very strong, and have aged beautifully, and the same can be said for the great Pinots of Burgundy.

Both these wines drink perfectly now–enjoy and we promise not to card you!

Dade Thieriot

More than equivalent to a Bordeaux Château, the Schloss Reinhartshausen estate includes a large first-class hotel.

A delicious four-course menu with appetizers set the stage for the four middle Mosel Rieslings from Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch – Erben Thanisch: Berncasteler Badstube & Doctor.

My personal favorite was the second course that featured a lovely piece of lightly sauteed halibut next to the ’09 Berncasteler Badstube Kabinett. This made for a most stellar combination although every course was yummy and extremely successful.

However, the fanfare was all but over. In honor of Sofia’s birthday, I launched a few treasures from my private cellar, and the fun kicked into overdrive: ’99 Doctor Auslese LGK (auction), ’57 Scharzhofberger feinste Auslese/Apollinaris Koch, and ’57 Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder (auction). Guest merchant, David Derby (J.J. Buckley), had celebrated his birthday last Sunday, so I also managed to locate a couple of killer ’59s: Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhof, “Burgberg”, Feinste Auslese followed by a ’59 Scharzhofberger  TBA, Egon Müller! Happy birthday to you!

Needless to say, it was a marvelous evening that none of us will ever forget thanks to chef Stephen Barber, Ryan Graham of Dee Vine Wines, and Sofia Thanisch–BRAVO!

Dade Thieriot

Sofia Thanisch speaks to the table at Fish Story, March 8, 2011

Sofia Thanisch with Dade and Petra Thieriot and the honored guests, March 8, 2011

Sofia Thanisch with the evening's special bottles, March 8, 2011

The Thanisch vineyard plot in the Berncasteler Doctor

Indeed, the benevolent pricing of $45 for a three-course menu with wine pairings is quickly becoming one of San Francisco fine dining’s best kept secrets and most awesome bargains–it’s a steal!

Even without Mosel proprietor Sofia Thanisch of Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch – Erben Thanisch in house this would have been an astounding success, but when you add her to the mix it gets crazy good. And mix she did…going from table to table over the four hour prime dinner time engratiating herself to any and all in attendance. She charmed a captivated audience with photos of her vineyards and estate; explaining the wonders and characteristics of great Mosel Riesling as well as the history surrounding the Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard, and the legend of how it is said to have healed the Bishop of Trier.

All in all a great event that benefited both the Thanisch estate and everyone who made the effort to take advantage of such an incredible wine & food event!

Dade Thieriot

Sofia Thanisch with Dade Thieriot and Dee Vine staff, March 7, 2011

Sofia Thanisch with Dee Vine's Pierre Gulick
and honored guests, March 7, 2011.

The Thanisch vineyard plot in the Berncasteler Doctor

Forbes Mill Steakhouse
German Riesling Dinner — May 24, 2011:

Just when you thought white only goes with fish and red wine only goes with meat, along comes Dee Vine Wines to prove that Riesling marries well with everything! Yes, we are teaming up with Forbes Mill Steakhouse–a gourmet carnivorous establishment in downtown Los Gatos that is a cut above most steakhouses in the Bay Area.

Details will follow when we get closer to the day of the event!

Dade Thieriot

It’s no coincidence that the amazing Ludwig Balz all-TBA collection has so many wines from the 1971 vintage. It was one of the greatest years in German wine history along with 1921, 1937, 1949, 1959, and 1976!

1971 Winzergenossenschaft Vier Jahreszeiten,
Dürkheimer Feuerberg, Weißburgunder TBA 350ml
Was $250/bottle, Now just $185/bottle
($139/bottle on two or more)*

1971 Weingut Görz,
Bosenheimer Hirtenhain, Riesling TBA 700ml
Was $500/bottle, Now just $375/bottle
($281/bottle on two or more)*

1971 Schloss Schönborn,
Erbacher Marcobrunn, Riesling TBA 700ml
Was $2000/bottle, Now just $1500/bottle
($1200/bottle on two or more)*

I cannot claim to have tasted every TBA in the Balz collection (not even close), but you can bet that Ludwig Balz had such pleasure. The man knew what he was doing. Mr. Balz assembled an astounding array of TBAs over a 40-year span from all over Germany, and never bought an inferior wine; even if the estate was not amongst the most famous.

From the get go, 1971 has been very highly regarded for German Riesling as well as the many other varietals that flourish under perfect growing conditions. It was a magical year. Selecting an absolutely magnificent ’71 from the Balz collection is rather like shooting ducks in a pond- YOU CAN’T MISS!

Dade Thieriot

Dade Thieriot in the Erbacher Marcobrunn vineyard, Mar. 2011

*All three featured wines can be mixed and matched to reach the multiple bottle discount pricing. However, these wines cannot be combined with other items for the standard 10% case discount.

It’s a good thing to know, because they own some of the finest Riesling vineyards on earth, and also have tremendous old stocks of wines, both Riesling and Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) going as far back as the 18th century.

Now that’s what I call a track record!

On the east side of the site it is protected by an extensive wall along which they have trained vines. In recent years, they have produced a small quantity of wine from these vines that grow on the wall called, “Mauerwein.”

As with most great estates, the Staatsweingut produces some fine wine in every vintage regardless of quality. 1981 was a mediocre vintage for other pradikat levels, but in the great Steinberg vineyard a very small quantity of outstanding Eiswein was made.

Talk about rare and magnificent–it’s just as rare as Romanee-Conti. It just doesn’t cost nearly as much!

Dade Thieriot

 

Dieter Greiner of Kloster Eberbach & Dade Thieriot, Nov. 2010

 

Every Autumn in late September, the VDP

Friday, 23 September 2011,
123. Auction Grosser Ring VDP-Mosel-Saar-Ruwer at Europahalle Trier

Saturday, 24 September 2011,
Auction VDP Rheingau at Kloster Eberbach Eltville

Sunday, 25 September 2011,
Auction VDP-Nahe-Ahr at Römerhalle Bad Kreuznach

The auctions are all open to the public and trade alike, and offer one a great opportunity to taste the finest cuvees from many of Germany’s top estates.

Dade Thieriot

The Bad Kreuznach Auction

I visited this show in 2002, and was amazed by the breadth and depth of the exhibits from every major wine-producing region in the world. It is held in three cavernous halls that resemble airplane hangers, and they are completely full.

ProWein offers one a great opportunity to meet and discover new producers and contacts in the industry as well as to strengthen and solidify existing contacts.

This is a very important trade show that should not be missed!

Dade Thieriot

The convention floor at Pro Wein