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2006 KYOS GRILLO SICILIA
Sicily is one of the older centers of civilization
in the Mediterranean, and wine has been part of the cultural landscape
almost since the beginning. Though the island is extremely productive
in terms of wine volume, the bulk of the finished product is,
well, bulk wine. Very little is created at a quality level able
to receive DOC or IGT designation, and even their greatest claim
to wine fame, the fortified wines of Marsala, have fallen well
behind the prestige of the similarly made wines from the Sherry
and Porto regions. In recent years their attention to quality
has grown significantly, and many wines using both traditional
and international grapes have begun to show up all over the world.
Grillo is a traditional white grape used primarily in making Marsala,
but is growing in popularity as an alternative to Pinot Grigio
or Chardonnay. Ripe, exotically perfumed aromas of citrus and
tropical fruit prepare your palate for the rich textured flavors,
and while the acidity is fairly low, the wine shows no signs of
flabbiness, lifted by very bright lemon/lime minerality. A great
seafood or poultry wine when you want something with a bit more
pizzazz.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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2005 BENOTTO NEBBIOLO MONFERRATO
Good value priced Nebbiolo is difficult to find in Italy’s
Piedmont. The grape is somewhat difficult to grow, requiring vineyards
with very good sun exposure, so it tends to be planted on the
best sites. Dolcetto and Barbera are more forgiving, so they tend
to be found planted in the lesser sites to make less intensive,
more everyday wines. But every once in a while you can find one
that beats the odds, and when you do you find yourself with a
great treat on your hands. The Monferrato region is generally
better known for producing soft, easy drinking Barberas, but Nebbiolo
can be made here as well. They don’t reach the heights of
ones from the Langhe or Barolo, but can provide a fuller, more
intensive wine experience than Barbera can. Fairly dark in the
glass, the wine immediately shows off Nebbiolo’s famous
perfume of violet flowers and spice over tart red fruits, but
only hints at the blacker fruits and asphalt characters found
in the more prestigious areas like Barolo. Nebbiolo is also known
for intense acidity and hard tannins, especially when they are
young, but this has more than enough soft round fruit to soften
up any hard edges. A surprisingly flavorful and affordable wine
that will be great for any grilled foods.
Regular price $15.99, $13.59/case
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2005 CHATEAU GRAND BILLARD BORDEAUX
When you hear the term ‘Vintage of the Century’ bantered
around as often as we do in wine sales, the term can loose its
meaning. The old joke is that the best vintage ever is the one
that the winery currently has to get sold. But 2005 in Bordeaux
may live up to the hype as being one of the legends, not only
because of the epic quality at the extreme high end, but because
there are oceans of very solid wines at the value range as well.
For several hundred dollars, you expect something special, but
for $10-$15 it is a real treat to find lots of quality wines to
pick from. Most value Bordeaux is Merlot based because, compared
to Cabernet Sauvignon, it is a much easier grape to grow, enabling
the Chateau to make softer, easy drinking wines like this one
without excessive labor or effort. Ripe redcurrant fruit comes
through on the aroma as well as in the mouth, with just enough
tannin, earth, and dried herbs showing through to give the wine
some structure and complexity. This isn’t a wine destined
to age for 5+ years, mostly because it’s so enjoyable now.
A great everyday drinker for fans of the Bordeaux style.
Regular price $9.99, $8.49/case |
2007 KUNGFU GIRL RIESLING COLUMBIA VALLEY
This is a time where I wish we could do these tasting notes with
those impact action bubbles they had during the fight scenes in
the ‘Batman’ TV shows. Sure, the name obviously calls
to it, but this wine has such great impact, it actually deserves
it. This wine comes from the Charles Smith Wines company in Washington
State, the same brilliant (and slightly off-center) producer that
creates the House Wine red blend we’ve featured in many
specials, as well as some of Washington’s best single vineyard
Syrahs using the K Vintners label. This Riesling is done in the
bright and dry style as much of the best versions from the Clare
Valley in Australia, just loaded with dazzling lemon/lime citrus
aromas (POW!), and just a touch of the petrol found in many Alsatian
and Austrian dry Rieslings as well (THUMP!). The mouth is juicy
and full of pears, apple, white fruits and wet stone (KA-PWING!),
and layers of dazzling acidity that liven up every corner of your
mouth (ZIP!). This is excitement (WHAM!) in a glass (BAM!).
Regular price $15.99, $13.59/case
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2006 MONTINORE ESTATE PINOT GRIS WILLAMETTE
VALLEY
(Wine Spectator 90points)
Oregon Pinot Gris is one of our favorite wines
to do when you are looking for something different that can satisfy
a large range of drinkers. Rich enough in bright fruit to appeal
to folks that may like something a bit fruitier, but still showing
enough mineral and citrus to appeal to all but the most oak-craving
dry wine fans. Montinore is a great organic/biodynamic producer
we’ve carried from time to time, but their 2006 may be their
best yet, and we had to jump on it. Intense first aromas of white
fruits and straw are followed by more subtle, crisp characters
as the wine opens. The first sip is very juicy and mouthfilling,
loaded with the white fruits in the nose, but also throws in bright,
refreshing acidity to give the wine a tingly crisp finish. A tasty
wine as a cocktail, but also flavorful enough to work with fuller,
intensely flavored seafood like salmon, especially dishes that
use Pacific Rim fusion spices.
Regular price $16.99, $14.44/case |
2006 EL MOLINET VALENCIA
It’s difficult to get away from Spain when it comes to wine
values. Even with the exchange rate, even with cost for everything
pushing wine prices higher and higher, there are still multitudes
of wines that can make us say ‘WOW! What a great deal!’
This is a new specialty bottling assembled by importer Aurelio
Cabestrero sourcing grapes from the Valencia region in eastern
Spain. The region’s wines are mostly known for using Monastrell
(Mourvedre) or even Syrah, but wines like this using Tempranillo
and Cabernet Sauvignon can be found there as well. This is yet
another Spanish blockbuster wine, absolutely packed to the hilt
with briary black fruit and graphite aromas firing out of the
almost pitch black/saturated purple glass. The flavors are intense
and youthful, full of saturated berry flavors and spice, with
enough natural tannins and oak to firm the flavors up on the finish.
This is loaded with flavor and ready to impress. .
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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