Irlandés Tequila Arrives

You’re probably wondering what Ireland has to do with Tequila, to the point that a brand called Irlandes Tequila even exists!

For those of you who prefer email text, Irlandés Tequila pays homage to the brave soldiers of the Irish San Patricios Battalion who traveled to Mexico in 1847 to find alongside the courageous Mexican soldiers in their fight for freedom.

There’s more to Irlandés than just history, however. Part of the story involves one of the dying Irish soldiers gifting a Mexican priest a bottle of holy water he had brought over with him during the battle. As it turns out, that water was from the same sacred well that Irlandés uses to proof down its Tequila expressions.

Sacred Irish water + authentic, additive-free Mexican Tequila from NOM 1588 and you’ve got a fantastic story, but the Tequila holds its own as well. Irlandés founder Colm O’Faolain is a proud Irishman, but he’s also a Tequila fanatic who knows good juice.

Working with Tequilas El Mexicano distillery in Arandas every step of the way, he has crafted one of the most unique Tequila brands on the market today, and one truly born of an integral passion. Using autoclaves for cooking, natural French yeast for fermentation, and both Mexican well water for cooking and Irish well water for proofing, this unique process was born out of a serious passion.

For those who appreciate fine sipping Tequila, we’re thrilled to introduce you to this very tasty passion project that we’re very happy to support.

Irlandés Blanco Tequila $48.99

Crafted from perfectly ripe Blue Weber Agave, this expression offers a rich tapestry of texture and tantalizing purity. The nose entices with the fragrance of sun-warmed almonds and subtle earthiness, paving the way for luxurious layers of slow-cooked agave. A burst of citrus freshness dances across the mid-palate, leading to a succulent, lingering finish. Created not just to sip, but to savor—an invitation to share and celebrate the artistry within each nuanced sip.

Irlandés Reposado Tequila $58.99

Irlandés Reposado greets you with dazzling hues of honey. Opening notes of vanilla specks and just baked pan dulce bloom into aromas of dried apple and Los Altos agave rested in toasted American oak. The finish is gently laced with the satisfying comfort of stone ground cocoa beans and warm, delicate spices. This tequila sets the stage to persuade our senses to slow down and savor every moment.

Perfectly-Aged Brunello For A Great Price

While there are many wine retailers across the nation who will sell you their best red wines before they’re ready-to-drink (putting the onus on you to cellar them for 5-10 years), that’s never been our strong suit at Mission.

While we appreciate the sensibility of a well-aged wine, we also know that it’s possible to find deals on ready-aged wines, especially in the current market where supplies have been sitting in warehouses for years in search of a home.

In order to keep their commitments, American importers typically bring hundreds if not thousands of cases of individual wines over the Atlantic from Europe, aging their stocks in temperature-controlled warehouses until they’re ready for distribution. At Mission, we’ve developed a knack for locating those parcels of ready-to-drink gems for prices below the standard market cost.

Take today’s email as a perfect example: the outstanding 2018 Camigliano Brunello for just $45.95, compared to other stores at $55+.

In the world of Italian Brunello, Camigliano holds a special place. As Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate pointed out in its detailed review, the estate “occupies a unique position within the appellation,” including 92 hectares of vines that “are spread over varied microclimates and soil types, adding more variables to the final blending program.”

With Sangiovese vineyards in different climates that can ultimately be blended to perfection in the production room, Camigliano is able to temper itself against warm and cool vintages and create stellar Brunello expressions in just about any harvest. If you need proof, look at the litany of outstanding reviews below.

Outstanding press, historic producer, great vintage, fantastic wine, already aged for you, ready to drink, under $50, and $10 under the standard MSRP. Just what you need to get the week started off on the right foot!

2018 Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino $45.95

94 POINTS: WINE ENTHUSIAST - The nose offers cherries, vanilla and toasted coconut over aromas of leather, flint and currants. On the palate, blackberries and dried cranberries emphasize more cherries, while dusty tannins swim in a thick undertow of chocolate and sambuca. Vibrant acidity sets up a long, warm finish.

92 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR - Ripe and opulent, boasting macerated cherry, plum, eucalyptus and iron flavors matched to a muscular structure. Shows beefy tannins that take over on the finish, yet this feels balanced, with a beam of cherry persisting through the conclusion.

92 POINTS: JAMES SUCKLING - A ripe and full-bodied Brunello with intense notes of cassis, stewed plums and kalamata olives. Some grilled herbs, too. Broad and creamy tannins with plenty of rich fruit. A little one-dimensional but concentrated and flavorful. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2023.

91 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE - A certified organic wine, the Camigliano 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is medium dark in appearance with round and ripe aromas of cherry confit, blackberry tart, black rose and balsam herb. The wine is textured and rich; however, the alcohol is too high at 15%. That power takes away from the long-term potential of delicate Sangiovese and places the grape into a near or medium-term drinking window instead. The wine aged in large oak casks for 24 months, resulting in a generous production of 190,000 bottles. Camigliano occupies a unique position within the appellation. **The estate's 92 hectares of vines are spread over varied microclimates and soil types, adding more variables to the final blending program. These differences also help to mitigate climate change because the Ghezzi family can prioritize one parcel over another, and there is plenty of fruit to go around, considering these more generous production numbers.

91 POINTS: VINOUS - There’s an almost-candied quality to the bouquet of the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino, as sweet rose and medicinal cherry give way to nuances of shaved cedar and pine. This is a mid-weight and gracious Sangiovese, with bright acidity that adds an almost-juicy character within. Hints of strawberry and minty herbs resonate, as this finishes only lightly structured, yet with admirable length.

The Best Champagne Not Called Champagne?

Chateau de Lavernette is far from a household name in Burgundy where it’s made, let alone the United States, which is why we’re here to introduce you to one of the most fascinating and delicious sparkling wines we’ve tasted in years (yes, literally, years).

Champagne and Burgundy have always been closely linked, due to their close proximity to one another and the fact that both use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir predominantly. Beaujolais, while technically a part of Burgundy, has always been its own little offshoot, making Gamay-based wines that have become a hipster haven over the last decade for those looking to eschew the insane prices of Corton and other communes.

Chateau de Lavernette’s Granit sparkling wine (called Crémant in France) raises a very interesting question and then immediately answers it: what if someone were to make sparkling Gamay in the style of Champagne, while growing it in a similar mineral-rich soil just outside the famed region? The answer, as it turns out, is simply incredible.

There are a dozen very compelling aspects about Lavernette outside of its Granit Crémant, like the fact that winemaking at the estate dates back to 1565 and every grape is farmed biodynamically for full freshness. But, for the sake of brevity, let’s get back to the granite-farmed Gamay.

Prior to WWII, as much as 40% of Champagne’s Aube region was planted to Gamay, so clearly there was a precedent for sparkling Gamay in the area. After traveling to Champagne and consulting with famed producer Egly-Ouriet, Lavernette selected its granite soil Gamay vines specifically for sparkling wine, hoping it would replicate the flavors of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grown in similar conditions. Just like Champagne, it’s fermented in the bottle where it spends 18 months aging on the lees before disgorgement.

With its fresh acidity, fine bubbles, gorgeous flavors, and delicate texture, we think this is a sparkling wine worth going deep on. There isn’t much of it being made, but we’ve secured as much as we can for the time being. Trust us on this one.

Chateau de Lavernette Reserve “Granit” $27.99

Micro-Production Gigondas Worth Cellaring Away

While Cabernet Sauvignon still gets all the credit for building the American wine scene, we’ve found that an overwhelming percentage of our Mission customers love the more concentrated flavor of a juicy, full-bodied GSM blend just as much (Grenache + Syrah + Mourvedre). That’s why we wanted to bring your attention to this amazing little deal we have for you on a beautiful summer Monday!

Gigondas is a region in France’s Southern Rhône right near Châteauneuf du Pape that makes a bolder, more dynamic version of what we normally call a Côte du Rhone blend. The wines from Gigondas must be a majority of Grenache with the remainder being Syrah and Mourvedre, and the best expressions have bold fruit flavor (think ripe blueberries with cassis) with a savory, herbaceous element that gives them amazing depth. 

Domaine de Grand Bourjassot is a tiny 10 acre estate in the heart of the region and the Cuvée Cécile is its top wine. Since its inception in 1998, the wine has garnered immense praise from the industry’s top critics, but those reviews have only increased in quality over time. 

As an example, Jeb Dunnuck from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave the 2004 vintage a very fine 89 point score, calling it “impressive, if not outstanding.”

Fifteen vintages later, Jeb Dunnuck rated the 2019 it a well-deserved 93 points, telling readers that he would “hide bottles for 2-3 years and enjoy over the following decade.” We agree, as it’s one of the most delicious new wines we’ve tasted in weeks. The vines are an average of 65 years old and every grape is harvested by hand to preserve that incredible concentration.

And we’re just getting started on the press! The Vinous and Wine Spectator scores have yet to be released, which is why we’re letting you know about this little deal now, before the rush. If you love ripe, round, full-fruited red wines with distinction and character, this is a fantastic wine at a very reasonable price. Roughly 350 cases are made for the entire world and we have five of them for you today, while supplies last!

2019 Domaine de Grand Bourjassot “Cuvée Cécile” Gigondas $31.99

93 POINTS: JEB DUNNUCK - The 2019 Gigondas Cuvée Cécile is a more classic blend based largely on Grenache and offers a medium to full-bodied, balanced, impressive style. Sappy garrigue, spring flowers, and both red and blue fruits show on the nose, and it has plenty of mid-palate depth as well as building tannins that emerge with time in the glass. The cellar should be your friend on this one. I’d hide bottles for 2-3 years and enjoy over the following decade or more.

The New Face of Luxury Gin

Yes, indeed, that is Emma Watson—star of Harry Potter and other films—in the above photo, but Renais Gin is not just another celebrity throwaway. It’s the pride and joy of the entire Watson family, including her brother Oliver and her father Chris.

While fans all over the world are aware of Emma’s success, few know that her father Chris planted Chardonnay vines in Chablis back in the 1990s and that Emma’s family has been making Burgundy for over thirty years. Fewer are aware that Emma and her brother Oliver spent years in the Chablis vineyards long before she was ever cast as Hermione Granger.

And to be very clear, the focal point of the Watson family’s new Renais Gin is not Harry Potter. It’s Chablis. 

If you’re a lover of both Burgundy and gin (like we are at Mission), you’re going to want to try this gin immediately, mostly because the Watsons used actual pressed Grand Cru Chablis Chardonnay grapes as one of the botanicals in the gin, along with actual Kimmeridgian stones!! Yes, there are actual vineyard rocks used in the production of this gin, so as to effectively capture the essence of real Chablis. 

In addition to Chablis grapes and Chablis limestone, the Watsons add juniper, angelica root, linden flowers, and acacia honey to craft an entirely new expression of gin, and one that appeals directly to lovers of Burgundy, in particular. The aromas are fresh and lively, the texture rounded and supple, the flavors vinous and vibrant. 

Is this the first gin with real terroir and minerality? Perhaps! What’s more important is that it’s absolutely delicious and absolutely not some designer celebrity label. While Emma is a part of the marketing (of course), she’s not the face of the brand. The Watson family’s history of winemaking in Chablis goes back thirty years, which is where the story of Renais gin begins. 

We think it’s the most exciting new gin we’ve tasted in years and one of the most interesting, thought-provoking products we’ve added to our inventory in 2024 thus far.

Renais Gin $52.99

The Extra Añejo Gift That Keeps On Giving

The nondescript, austere black bottle that is San Matias Gran Reserva Extra Añejo Tequila has been one of the bar industry’s best kept secrets for well over a decade.

Made at NOM 1106, the Tequila de San Matias distillery’s aged bargain has long been a Tequila touchstone to those in-the-know, no different than how many of us feel about In-N-Out burgers or Arizona iced tea: a dependable, no nonsense product of quality that hasn’t really gone up in price for as long as we can remember.

$50 for a dependable, butterscotch-laden Extra Añejo Tequila is already a great price as is. Today, however, we’re gonna knock an extra $10 off that deal and give you all that extra maturity for the same price as most blanco Tequilas these days.

You can read the reviews on the always dependable Tequila Matchmaker for both a fair overview of the product and a look at the standard MSRP. You’re likely to come to the same conclusion that we did years ago: while it may not blow you away, it’s a damn good product for a very fair price.

And that price just got even better today—for a limited time! Who’s ready for Tuesday night shots on a warm summer evening?

San Matias Gran Reserva Extra Añejo Tequila $39.95

Right Bank Bordeaux Bargains

We love digging through stacks of old Bordeaux in search of mature values from great vintages. Not everyone wants to crack a $300 bottle of Lynch Bages on a random summer evening, which is why finding little gems from outstanding vintages like 2015 bring us immense joy. 

A recent search through an importer’s warehouse revealed five extra cases of 2015 Château Corbin from St. Emilion on Bordeaux’s famed Right Bank. Owned by the Cruse family since 1924, and today led by Anabelle Bardinet, the wines have been improving steadily since new investment was made in the late 1990s. 

With a cepage of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the wines of Château Corbin are reminiscent of the old school Right Bank style we love: loads of plummy fruit, balanced with hints of tobacco and cigar box with plenty of grip. After almost a decade in bottle, the wine is in an absolutely beautiful spot and begging for a place around your summer grill. 

Our hot price of $39.95 is nothing to sneeze at either! Grill up a steak, sauté some mushrooms, roast something savory, or just pop the cork and enjoy it. Drinking mature, old school Bordeaux with great press at a great price doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars. 

Sometimes the best wines are the ones you least expect (although look at all the amazing reviews below):

2015 Château Corbin, St. Emilion $39.95

93 POINTS: JAMES SUCKLING - Plum pastries with violets and spiced blueberry fruits. The palate has impressive plushness and rich, fleshy appeal. Long finish. Try from 2022.

92 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE - A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in barrels, 40% new, the 2015 Corbin is medium garnet-purple colored with cigar box and spice box notions accenting the core of red and black plums, blackberry preserves and earthy layers plus a hint of lavender. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, elegant and well balanced with grainy tannins, finishing lively and long.

90 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR - A rather chunky style, with fig, boysenberry and blackberry confiture notes thoroughly embedded with grippy, brambly structure. Roasted apple wood and licorice snap notes fill in on the finish. Relies on power more than guile. 

90 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2015 Corbin shows much better from bottle than it did from barrel. Plump, juicy and forward, with lovely depth, it has much to recommend it. The dark red plum, mocha, chocolate, savory herb, leather, licorice, tobacco and smoke flavors are nicely delineated. The 2015 has come along nicely. I would prefer to drink it over the next handful of years

Beaujolais Brilliance from Brouilly

“This remains one of my absolutely favorite examples of Côte de Brouilly in the appellation and the wine deserves to be even better known.”

-John Gilman, View From the Cellar

Since 2009, every vintage of Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes “Cuvée des Ambassades” has received amazing press from the folks at Vinous, and we expect 2022 to be no different. While we’re still waiting for the official score to be released, let us tell you what we know in the meantime:

• Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes has the highest-elevation vineyard sites in Brouilly

• Roughly 60% of their vines are over 40 years old

• The old vine fruit is used to make the annual Cuvée des Ambassades, described by Vinous as “one of the most delicate and precise wines in Beaujolais”

• The wine is made with whole clusters and carbonic maceration, fermented in concrete tanks, and aged in old oak foudres without filtration

Beaujolais, unlike its Burgundian cousin, is made from Gamay rather than Pinot Noir,  and serious cru Beaujolais like the Pavillon de Chavannes has finally shed the “nouveau” moniker that kept older generations from discovering it. Dark, sumptuous, fleshy, and more brooding than its Pinot Noir relatives, French wine fans have been gravitating towards Brouilly for the better part of a decade, making the wines harder and harder to secure.

The takeaway is this: Cru Beaujolais is being appreciated outside Burgundy like never before, the quality has never been better, and the prices are still incredibly reasonable!

Beaujolais is also one of France’s most historic wines, with the Romans having cultivated vines on Mont Brouilly’s steep slopes where Domaine du Pavillon de Chavanne’s vineyards sit today.

While the word is still out on the 2022’s rating, why wait until the wine gets another rave review and then promptly sells out? At Mission, we want you to get in now while the wine is still available! For $21.99, there are few French reds that deliver this much quality for this low of a price, year after year after year.

2022 Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes “Cuvée des Ambassades” $21.99

This is a very old school Beaujolais in the best sense: beautiful garnet color, beguiling aromatics, and a burst of refreshment in the mouth—and that burst is a savory, mineral, toothsome thing because of the domaine’s high elevations and because of Brouilly’s meager volcanic soils that provide depth of flavor. Some crus emphasize soil notes, others give fruit, but only good Côte de Brouilly gives stone in the flavor. Blackberries, cherries, and cassis permeate every inch of the palate with violets on the finish.