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A Serious High-Elevation Red from Sisters Sofia and Lucila Pescarmona!

Plus our favorite $9.99 Viognier...

Bodega Lagarde is run by sisters Sofia and Lucila Pescarmona, and they are bottling some of the most charismatic Malbecs in Argentina.

Today’s wine comes from their high-elevation vineyard in the Mayor Drummond district of Luján de Cuyo. At an elevation of 2800 feet, higher than the famous summits of Napa Valley's Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak, the resulting wine is seriously structured. Unlike the wines from those famous "lower elevation" sites in Napa, however, this "polished and velvety" red is available for under twenty bucks!

Scroll down to check out the 92 and 93-Point reviews, and for one last crack at our favorite 91-Point/$9.99 Viognier, then hit that Big Yellow Button to experience the fruit of Sofia and Lucila's work.

Riboli Family Winemaker Dinner at D & J Bistro!

We invite you to join us this upcoming Tuesday, April 9th for dinner at D & J Bistro in Lake Zurich with winemaker Marty Spate of California's Riboli Family Wines!

Chef Masato will treat us to an assortment of appetizers followed by four wonderful courses, each matching one of Marty's wines.

As the menu indicates, it is going to be one heck of a night!

When: Tuesday April 9, 6:30pm

Where: D & J Bistro - 466 S. Rand Road

Cost: $120, all inclusive

Click here to reserve your spot!

2020 Lagarde "Guarda" Malbec

Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

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Guarda is not your typical fruity/soft Malbec. This wine has guts! Sisters Sofia and Lucila Pescarmona craft this smaller production bottling from a vineyard planted in 1906 at high elevation in Luján de Cuyo.

Subtle and nuanced, it is a super interesting expression of Malbec with a distinct Bordeaux-like quality. Old world flavors of cassis, dusty dark cherry, ripe plum, potpourri, sweet compost and gritty earth combine with medium-plus tannins, excellent acidity and a new world warmth and mouthfeel heft to create a serious bottle of wine.

The love for carne asada in Argentina is no joke, and that is EXACTLY what this wine yearns to be matched with. It takes some time for the 2020 Guarda to reveal the full extent of its savory, layered complexity, so pour a bottle in your decanter before you head to the butcher shop, then fire up the grill!

"The 2020 Malbec Guarda was made from grapes from Luján de Cuyo and aged for 12 months in new and used French barrels. Purple in the glass. The expressive, tea-like nose presents floral notes, white pepper and plum, with tomato leaf appearing subsequently. On the palate, the tannins are refined, polished and velvety. The back of the mouth delivers a precise, fruity flavor. The warm year has enhanced the alcoholic lushness and the dark fruit flavor. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030."

          - 92 Points, Vinous - Joaquin Hidalgo (1/2023) 

"Blackberries and dark plums with some walnuts and flowers. Full-bodied with round tannins and a juicy finish. Creamy and round. Really delicious and soft, yet fresh and tensioned. Drink now."

          - 93 Points, James Suckling (5/3/2022) 

Vinous quotes a price of $25 for this high-elevation bottling. We appear to be the only ones in the U.S. to have this bottling and bring it to you for 28% less.

Vin Chicago Price: 17.99

Plus a TOTALLY Delightful $9.99 Viognier!

2021 Yalumba "Y Series" Viognier

South Australia, Australia

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Without a doubt, Yalumba is making the best $10 Viognier on the planet. Juicy and lively, this engaging wine gives an abundance of white peach, yellow apple and tropical flower flavors atop a plump texture with plenty of zip on the finish.

Perfect for cocktail hour any night of the week, this delicious white can seemingly do no wrong! Check out these spot-on reviews from Wine Enthusiast, Vinous and James Suckling, then click fast to get in on the fun!

"Despite being Yalumba's entry-level Viognier, this is one of its most delicious white offerings. Highly aromatic, it wafts a perfume of honeysuckle, orchard blossom and fuzzy peach skin. The palate is more viscous than the nose implies, but there's enough acidity to keep it fresh. Peach and lemon flavors linger on the finish. Drink with Thai curry or a similarly bold Southeast Asian dish. Best Buy."

          - 91 Points, Wine Enthusiast (7/1/2022) 

"Limpid straw-yellow. Sharply defined citrus and pit fruit aromas pick up floral and spice accents with air. Juicy and light on its feet, offering sappy white peach, tangerine and melon flavors that deepen slowly through the back half. Finishes long and silky, with lingering floral and spicy ginger notes. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2025."

          - 90 Points, Vinous - Josh Raynolds (9/2022)

"This has bright, ripe peach and apricot aromas with bright, floral perfume. There’s a very pure, ripe-apricot core to the palate and smoothly fleshy texture. Works well. Drink now. Screw cap."

          - 91 Points, James Suckling (9/29/2021)

Vinous quotes this at $15. Median online retail is $12. Quite frankly, this is a hot buy at either of those amounts. At our price, it is a silly good deal. Grab a case and drink all spring and summer long!

Vin Chicago Price: 9.99

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or contact us at 773-791-7936 for assistance.