With his stingy scores, Stephen Tanzer continues to distance himself from all other Burgundy critics. Rarely does Tanzer go out on a limb -- and almost never for an under-$25 Chardonnay, let alone one from the New World. But this month, Tanzer did just that.

With his stingy scores, Stephen Tanzer continues to distance himself from all other Burgundy critics. Rarely does Tanzer go out on a limb -- and almost never for an under-$25 Chardonnay, let alone one from the New World. But this month, Tanzer did just that.

For the past 11 years, the stunning Hamilton Russell Chardonnay -- drawn from manicured vines set just two kilometers from the Indian Ocean on the southern tip of South Africa -- has wowed Wine Spectator. But that steady stream of Spectator 90-93 point raves wouldn't hold a candle to Tanzer's description of what many are calling the finest white wine ever to come out of South Africa.

Brilliant straw-yellow, with pungent aromas of pear and apricot, high-toned and almost saline, the 2012 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay is deeply concentrated, still showing off Chassagne-like balance, Tanzer said this one "conveys a powerful impression of intensity without weight, like the best white Burgundies" -- before he dropped the 93+ point bomb that seems almost out of character.

The highest-rated Chardonnay in five years from Tanzer's International Wine Cellar sporting anything like today's WineAccess price is now up for grabs. 490 cases made it stateside, 75 of which are earmarked for WineAccess. $35 on release. Only $24.49 for no more than a couple of hours this morning. STRICT LIMIT of one case per member!

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar eschews hyperbole. The world's most respected critic of the wines of Burgundy, Alsace and the Loire is notoriously stingy with his ratings and is usually loath to declare the next 'vintage of the century.'

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar eschews hyperbole. The world's most respected critic of the wines of Burgundy, Alsace and the Loire is notoriously stingy with his ratings and is usually loath to declare the next 'vintage of the century.'

But in the extreme growing season of 2010 in Alsace, even Tanzer couldn't hold back. The IWC called a vintage that began with a brutal frost 23 degrees below zero -- and concluded with a marvelous, turquoise sky Indian summer -- "One of the greatest of all time."

In Wettolsheim, Francois and Maxime Barmes's Riesling vineyards would eke out a small crop, close to 40% short of the norm. But with their lush, apricot- and lychee-infused Gewürztraminer, Nature was far more severe. The father and son team would harvest less than 1.5 tons per acre of exotically-concentrated, tiny-berry clusters.

Brilliant straw-gold in color, the aromas are of ripe citrus and lavender oil, laced with apricot essence and ginger. The attack is rich, compact and weighty, packed with ripe apricot and lychee, laced with bitter honey. While amply kissed with sweetness, Tanzer noted, the 2010 Gewürztraminer "Herrenweg" has "such bright, ripe acidity that it really doesn't taste sweet after all."

A lofty 93 points from Wine Spectator. True to form, Tanzer came in at 91+ -- as high as he would go for any luscious 2010 Alsatian white from this miracle vintage. $31 on release. Just $21.99 this morning on this exclusive Direct Import. COLLECTOR ALERT. Shipping included on 6.

Laurent Montalieu, the French enologist/proprietor at Solena Estate, has long been Oregon's most talented white wine maker. From a 2012 growing season that began with a cold spring, but finished with 110 CONSECUTIVE days without a drop of rain, Montalieu may well have fashioned the richest, most vibrantly mineral Pinot Gris of his 25-year career.

Laurent Montalieu, the French enologist/proprietor at Solena Estate, has long been Oregon's most talented white wine maker. From a 2012 growing season that began with a cold spring, but finished with 110 CONSECUTIVE days without a drop of rain, Montalieu may well have fashioned the richest, most vibrantly mineral Pinot Gris of his 25-year career.

The 2012 Solena Estate Pinot Gris is bright green-gold in color -- absolutely explosive on the nose, featuring ripe melon, white peach and orchard fruits, complicated by white flowers. Wonderfully juicy on the attack, with vibrant golden apple, exotic fruit concentration, it's the gentle kiss of an almost imperceptible sweetness that keeps the bracing, mineral finish in perfect balance.

For those of you who have clamored for under-$20 American whites for summer sipping -- don't let the price tag fool you. Yes, this is one of the most deliciously quaffable whites of the year. But it's also an unusually serious, almost intellectual release that argues as much for a few years in a cool cellar -- as it does for a summer evening by the pool with salmon, ahi, or swordfish sizzling on the grill, drizzled with cold pressed Olive Oil.

Just $16.99/bottle on cases -- and yes, if there was ever a MUST buy, American mineral white bargain, this is it. 112 cases are up for grabs.