: 2009 CAMERON HUGHES LOT #278 MERITAGE SPRING MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
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2010 FLAVIUM GODELLO
When the Spanish wine revolution began about 20
years ago, the Godello grape was on the verge of extinction. Galician
wines were barely known, and what did make consumer's radars was
mostly for Albarino. With the persistence and dedication of several
small producers, the grape survived and thrives, and not just
in small production 'geek wines'. More acreage means better potential
value and the existence of great deals like this one. Round and
ripe for the price point with lots of dried melon rind and lemon
citrus notes, this wine shows a fairly full body with lower acidity,
yet keeps plenty of zest. If you want to step outside your routine
of Chardonnays and Pinot Grigios, this is one that has a lot to
offer, and once you try it you will be looking for more.
Regular price $11.99, $10.19/case |
2010 DAL MASO CABERNET COLLI BERICI
The vineyards of the Veneto region of Italy are known mostly for
their white wines, creating both high volume tourist fodder and
highly sought after excellence. In the hills south of Vicenza,
between Venice and Verona, the Colli Berici are a surprising island
of great red wines. Even more surprising is their choice of grapes
to excel with, featuring the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon
and Merlot to make their DOC-designated wines. These wines show
an incredibly Bordeaux-like structure, matching their firm tannin
and dark fruits as well as any other place in the world, without
loosing that decidedly Italian signature. The first whiff is deep
and dry, all currants and morels, with surprisingly full texture
that has plenty of dark fruit to support the deep tannins. This
is a surprising wine that compares well with any value wine from
Bordeaux's Left Bank.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case
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2009 TWO JOKERS SHIRAZ
With colder weather approaching, it's time to start getting back
into some of our more hearty and intensive selections. Lots of
big family dinners, lots of rich warming food to fight back the
cold, and lots of sturdy wines to go with them. Though Australian
Shiraz is no longer the hip new trend it once was and has seen
it's reputation take a beating the last few years, it's still
what it has always been for those that like it: big, in your face
flavor that usually delivers the goods for a very reasonable price.
Forgetting the industrial critter label swill, this custom label
for a Virginia importer delivers flavor and complexity far beyond
its price point, loaded with ripe black fruits, blueberry, and
exotic spices without ever approaching the sweet, over-extracted
thickness that these sort of wines so often get criticized for.
This is something you find enjoyable on a week to week basis,
perfect to have on hand for guests or as a provision against the
first snowstorms of the season.
Regular price $11.99, $10.19/case |
2010 'G-PG' GARGANEGA/PINOT GRIGIO
Every once in a while we like to feature a wine in the Select
Six that's an extra special treat, something above and beyond
the quality and price range we usually feature here. This is just
such a wine, something that will make your jaw drop and make you
understand exactly what the big deal is all about when it comes
to Burgundian wines. This has all the elements: a great under
the radar producer whose importer is based here in Virginia (which
helps keep pricing down), an exceptional vintage (ensures high
quality fruit) pulled from very good but not high dollar sites
(also helps pricing), all of which results in a ridiculously high
achieving Chardonnay that's impossible to refuse. Brilliant aromas
of lemon zest, spiced pears and touches of white pepper and oak
toast, and an impressively round texture that's intensive and
showy yet still conceals plenty of fine acidity that keeps it
bright and lively. Without going into the heavy richness of a
Meursault this has all the class and complexity of a Villages
wine from the Cotes de Beaune without having to break into the
$40 range.
Regular price $26.99, $22.94/case
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2010 TRUCHARD VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 'STRIPED BASS'
The Truchard family have been major player in
the Carneros region of California for many years. Their vineyard
flanks the easternmost edge between the city of Napa and Mount
Veeder, and have been best known for making benchmark cool climate
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This bottling is built as more of value
wine, and though it has a whimsical, borderline cheesy, label,
it's still serious stuff. Made from 100% estate grown fruit, the
cool climate nature of the vineyards shows through immediately
with the bright grapefruit, lime and grassy aromas. Usually a
Sauv Blanc at this price point with such a nose would be fairly
lean, but in the mouth this shows plenty of juiciness and fresh
fruit texture to balance out the raciness. You don't often find
a wine from California that over-achieves like this one, especially
from an established name in one of Napa's premium regions.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case |
2010 RESERVE GRAND VENEUR COTES DU RHONE ROSE
This is the time of year where a good rose is a great multi-tasking
wine to have on hand. It can work as a white wine, chilled a bit
for a cocktail or light hors d'oeuvres, as well as a red wine
matched with lighter red meats. We especially like them going
into the Thanksgiving season paired with the broad and sometimes
conflicting assortment of dishes that appear on the holiday table.
This is a classic from the Rhone, full of spicy strawberry and
tart cherry fruit, with subtle notes of dried herbs on the nose
and light red wine styles tannins on the finish. You will see
the selection of Rose wine dwindle as it gets later in the season,
so if you enjoy this and want it to keep some on hand until the
Spring, it's best to get in on it now.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case
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