Every week, we select a wine from the store as our Insider's Pick. We send out tasting notes to our email customers the evening before, and have the wine open to taste at the store Thursday and Friday from 12:00 until closing. If you purchase the wine on the days it is tasted, you receive a 10% discount from the bottle price, and a 15% discount if the wine is part of a mixed case (no further discount on 1 item cases).  Below are the tasting notes from the most recent Insider's Picks.

February 02, 2012
2007 PETTRONE SANGIOVESE MENDOCINO COUNTY
$21.99, $18.69/case

There are a lot of grape varieties planted in California. Literally hundreds, if not thousands. If it's made a halfway decent wine somewhere in the world, somebody has likely tried to plant it in California, in hopes of being the pioneer of 'the next Big Thing'. Usually the grapes will ripen just fine, but there isn't quite enough of the right combination of environmental and winemaking factors to push them beyond the ordinary. They will be nice, fine, decent, something a little bit 'different', but ultimately not have anything that makes them sparkle and push past that ripe fruity sameness. This, however, is one of the most striking examples to the contrary we've had in some time. Up in the cool, uber-eco-friendly Mendocino County, the Pettrone Family Winery is closed to the public, focused on making wines that honor their Italian heritage. How good of a job are they doing? Their wholesaler here in Virginia is Siema Wines, one of the most Italian-centric importers we work with. If it passes their considerable standards, it HAS to be doing Tuscany proud. The cooler climate of Mendocino brings a touch more necessary acidity, and the bit of extra time in the bottle has helped take some of the rougher edges and juicier fruit characters out, resulting in a wine that shows lots of surprisingly Old World traits. Dusty red cherries, tart cranberry and hints of leather on the nose leave very little doubt as to the variety. The fruit follows suit on a lush but very racy textured body, with a rich warming finish that shows more dusty impressions of plums and sewed tomatos. In fact, were it not for a bit TOO much polish and strength, you would be hard pressed to not call this in a blind tasting as a Tuscan wine from a fairly ripe vintage and not something domestic. This speaks of Sangiovese, not of California.

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January 26, 2012
2010 DOMAINE LABBE VIN DE SAVOIE 'ABYMES'
$14.99, $12.74/case

On Thursday we will be featuring a wine with great lightness and delicacy, so that on Friday we can rough your palate up a bit. In addition to featuring this wine on both days, Friday we will have our friend David Witkowski from Potomac Selections presenting two additional wines from his portfolio that are just arriving in the store. All three wines will take the 10% Insider's Pick discount on Friday, but you'll have to stop by to find out what they are. Hint: one is from the Loire, one is from the Languedoc.

But now for the wine at hand, a beautiful, delicate flower from the Savoy region of France, located just across the border from Switzerland. Most wine drinkers are not familiar with these wines, especially those that prefer rich, oaky, or stronger flavored wines. Savoy wines reflect the cool and bright character of their environment, especially those from around the towns of Abymes and Apremont. The rare Jacquere grape is on display here, one of the few places where it is able to both maintain its brilliant acidity and still ripen fully. With this grape 'fully' only means a resulting wine in the 11%-12.5% abv range, however. If you can imagine a pure Alpine stream reconstructed into wine you will understand what this wine is all about. Cool aromas of lemon, mint, and hay that start out so brisk they can tickle the sinuses when poured right out of the fridge but get slightly more juicy and pulpy as it opens. At first sip some may find this thin, perhaps watery, especially if you pour it right down the gullet. A bit of patience on the palate pulls out the brilliant, racy acidity and fills the body out some to show crunchy apple and pear tones. While this wine will never be a big cocktail favorite, the big joke is that never really want to be that in the first place. This is at home on a romantic picnic for two or over light creamy cheeses, a wine for a more intimate setting.



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January 19, 2011
2006 ODOARDI SAVUTO
(Wine Advocate 89points)
$14.99, $12.74/case

While Puglia makes up the 'heel' of the Italian boot, Calabria is the 'toe', poised to toe-poke Sicily through the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic Ocean. At one time this was a major part of Greek and Italian culture, but in modern times this has become more of a rustic but scenic backwater. Top flight wineries are few and far between here, with many producers clinging to outdated methods of farming that, while quaint, make wine production more laborious and time consuming than really necessary. The wines can be spectacular, but for most they are little more than a regional peculiarity. In fact, for the 17+ years of Wine Warehouse, wines from this producer have made up the entirety of our Calbrian selection. Not that we haven't found a few other quality examples, but Odoardi delivers the experience for a price that actually promotes value as well as novelty. Based primarily on the most noted Calabrian grape Gaglioppo with equal parts of Greco Nero, Nerello Cappuccio, and Magliocco Canino (and somehow a little bit of ordinary Sangiovese slipped in there as well) the initial aromas are deep and smoky with lots of plum, sun dried fruits and dark herbs that get sweeter and more complex with a little extra time. In their youth these wines can have a Cahors-like reputation for chewy, aggressive tannins, so the bit of extra time in the bottle has been very beneficial. The tannins are still dark and present, but the texture is extremely fine, allowing the deep plum fruit to show through and giving them a sort of cocoa powder dusting. This is a great food match with rustic savory stews, especially something a bit gamier like deer.

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January 12, 2012
2009 COLEMAN VINEYARD PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY 'CHERRY COVE'
$19.99, $16.99/case

2008 was one of the more celebrated Oregon vintages in the last 30 years by the vast majority of wine reviewers. Most of the wines were very juicy, generous and forward, very easy for people to understand, and there were a lot of them to pick from. Now that we are at the beginning for 2012, we have reched a point when all but the more expensive wines from 2008 have disappeared, so it's time to start examining what the 09s have to offer. To be honest, all the extra attention on the 08s this last year has probably been beneficial to the 09s. The vintage is lighter and shows more acidity, more of a Burgundian style, and the time in the bottle has helped the wines soften some and gain more complexity. From the first pour the color is a paler, brickier red than most of the 08s, and the aromas are more dried red fruits, cranberry, and hints of spice. But instead of hitting you up front with everything, this wine holds something back in its subtlety, rewarding repeated swirling and patience with evolving fragrances. Because the color is lighter, most would expect the wine to be thinner textured, but one of the great aspects of the Pinot Noir grape is that it doesn't have to sacrifice one for the other. The mouthfeel is plenty full, delivering racy cherry skin and subtle black spice flavors on a silky, slippery texture with long penetrating acidity. This is the other side of the coin from the 08s, a wine that will reward patience with a more subtle yet equally enjoyable drinking experience for many people. Few grapes can provide the vinous pleasures Pinot Noir can in so many different ways, which is what makes it one of the world's most noble varieties.

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January 5, 2012
2008 RdV 'FRIENDS AND FAMILY'
$24.99, $21.24/case

When we first started hearing about RdV Vineyards in the earlier stages of development, we approached it with healthy doses of both optimism and scepticism. The last thing the Virginia wine industry needs is another overpriced, underachieving vanity project. But we do need wines that break the mold of what Virginia wines have become and pushes the boundaries to further greatness, like the ultra-small production 'R' wines and some of our other local favorites. And this is a winery that strives for quality above and excluding all else. The goals this winery has set for itself are beyond lofty, but those involved spent years doing their homework to find an ideal site and spent endless time and money preparing every aspect of the vineyard to achieve those goals (it's worth the time to check out their web site for many of the specifics at http://rdvvineyards.com/). While it's too early to tell where their efforts will take them, this is evidence they are definitely on the right track. This is their value bottling, a blend similar to their two premium wines in that it is a classic Bordeaux style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Even as a 'lesser' wine, this shows impressively deep color for a younger Virginia wine, a deep garnet made even richer by minimal filtration. The aromas are very Bordeaux-like, with hints of sweet tobacco and anise behind the dark red fruit, and showing no signs of green tones usually found in younger vines. The mouthfeel is doubly impressive, with surprisingly silky tannins showing off the rich fruit in a refined velvety fashion. Will their top wines, named Rendezvous and RdV, ultimately achieve the goal of making First Growth quality wines in Virginia? Much too early to say, and we have yet to taste for ourselves to say exactly where they are right now. But in this 'Friends and Family' bottling they show they are already ahead of much of their competition in making the best Virginia wines possible.

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December 28-31, 2011
WINE WAREHOUSE TASTING SCHEDULE THROUGH NEW YEAR'S EVE

All weekday tastings will start around 3pm and run through the end of the evening. Saturday's tasting will start at our usual 1pm time. Please note we will not be closing early on New Year's Eve for your convenience.


12/28-Cobblestone Cellars will present a selection of several wines
12/29-Margaux & Co. will have a selection of sparkling wines from the Thibaut-Janisson and Janisson et Fils portfolios (this tasting will be INSTEAD of our usual Thursday Insider's Pick)
12/30-Potomac Selections will have several eclectic and fun wines for holiday selection
12/31-Simon N Cellars will help us ring in the new year with a great selection of whites, reds and sparkling wines

Please check out our Facebook page each day to get the scecific wines being tasted.

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December 22, 2011
A SELECTION OF WINES FROM WINEBOW, INC.

Today's Insider's Pick continues our lineup of special holiday tastings by featuring wines from the acclaimed Winebow portfolio. The company is best known for their extensive Italian wine selection and the company's founder Leonardo LoCascio, but in recent years have developed a much broader catalogue with imports from more than 15 other countries. Many brands are fairly high profile, but there are also many hidden gems and great artisan producers.

For today and tomorrow we will be featuring at least three different Winebow wines, the 2010 Argiolas Nuragus di Cagliari 'S'elegas' ($18.99), 2010 Cousino Macul Chardonnay Maipo Valley ($10.99), and 2008 Cousino Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Antiguas Reservas ($17.99), plus a surprise or two as well. All the winebow wines we pour during the two days will receive our usual Insider's Pick bottle discount of 10%. We also want to remind you we will be having our last holiday beer tasting this Friday as well, so there will be many great things to try as you complete the last of your holiday shopping.
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December 15, 2011
A SELECTION OF WINES FROM SIMON N CELLARS PART 2 (AND 3)

Our friend Farid from Simon N Cellars has volunteered to pour for us yet again; it's getting to the point he's becoming an honorary employee. Lucky for him he represents one of our favorite importers in Virginia, and there is more than enough diversity here to support a dozen tastings. For Thursday and Friday we will be pouring several Simon N Cellars wines, all of which will receive the traditional Insider's Pick 10% discount for those days. Among those will be the 2010 Ricard Touraine Sauvignon 'Le Petiot' ($15.99), the 2009 Chopin Cotes de Nuits Villages Rouge ($25.99) , and the 2009 Bastide St Dominique Cotes du Rhone 'Les Argiles Rouge' Vieilles Vignes' ($16.99) , and perhaps a few other surprises. Farid will then return on Saturday for an extra special sparkling wine tasting featuring several selections from Vve. Fourny & Fils. This will be a fantastic opportunity to taste several styles of Champagne you would rarely get in a free setting like ours, and will help you beat the last minute New Year's Eve rush. We hope to see you during at least one of the three days of great holiday tastings (which also includes another selection of holiday beer for tasting on Friday as well). You don't want to miss out on these!

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