Sherlock’s Wine Merchant

I loved this place! Sherlock’s is located right off Northside near West Paces Ferry in a strip mall by Well’s Fargo and Chick-​Fil-​A. The boyfriend and I were celebrating his last night in Atlanta and he’d been dying to try Jam Jar, a gimmicky (or so I thought) bottle of wine we’d seen. So, we’re driving back to Mayretta from Buckhead and see Sherlock’s and stop. Since I’d never heard of or seen this place, I wasn’t expecting a little wine den/​shop thing. It was a really nice surprise! The guy was super nice and polite and directed us to our $ 10 bottle of Jam Jar, which he informed us is actually from South Africa. I also wanted to get a grownup bottle of wine, so he recommended a nice French Cabernet for around $ 20. In my experience, when I go in little wine boutiques, they usually try to sell me $ 30 bottles, which is out of my little price range at the young age of 24. This guy was awesome. He gave us a brief synopsis of the difference between French Cabernet and what I usually buy, which are Cabs from California. We were in there no more than five minutes and were completely satisfied with our purchases.

A trove of Bordeaux treasures packed, à la King Tut, into a cozy little space. Unlike most «wine stores» which act more as brokers than merchants, Sherlocks owns its inventory; a collector can find jems, often at prices that have not been jacked to reflect the current market. The staff has spent many an hour tasting wines in the kitchens and dining rooms of châteaus and estates, and at annual pre-​release barrell tastings (trade only.) These guys know their stuff, and the winemakers know them. They offer excellent advice with no attitude.
Sherlocks is the inner sanctum of Bordeaux wine in the ATL.