 At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
Often consumers and reviewers will refer to a nice Muscadet from the Nantes region of the Loire as 'the poor man's Chablis', based on its seashell flavored briny notes and clarity of flavor. Though it is made from the confusingly named Melon de Bourgogne (having nothing at all to do with the Burgundy region), Muscadet can tick off many of the flavor profile boxes as Chardonnay from that famous region, just lighter in style and never really reaching the heights of Cru level Chablis. It was only a matter of time before winemakers here endeavored to grow and produce higher quality Chardonnay around Nantes and really push the comparisons of Chablis further, and we are definitely seeing that movement among some of the younger generation moving into the scene. After taking over the family domaine in 2005, young Eric Chevalier converted them from selling off their fruit mostly in bulk to co-ops into an estate grown producer following strict organic practices. Along with many quality wines from traditional and heirloom Loire varieties, their Chardonnay caught the eye of noted importer Kermit Lynch, and they began bringing them over. The Chardonnay sees all the care and techniques as their Muscadets or any quality Chablis would, and the results are quite substantial. Immediate aromas of apple, citrus and oyster shells that invokes the vineyard's proximity to the sea, similar to a Muscadet but with more volume. On the palate the extended aging on the lees brings out a natural mouthfilling richness that makes aging in barrel unnecessary and unwanted, showing off the tingly citrus on a round refreshing bed of melon pulp and grape skin. It is a wine that is as a whole fairly simple but it does all the simple things very, very well and for a great price. A perfect match for any fish or seafood dish with a strong 'sense of the sea' to it.
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 At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
With as hot as it has been around here the last few weeks, we ALL deserve a wine that does well with a nice chill on it, perhaps relaxing with some snacks because nobody wants to stand in front of the grill and sweat all over the food. This should be at the top of that list for most people. A lengthy name, but the thing to remember is that Verdicchio is one of the champion grapes in the Marche region of Italy, and Castelli dei Jesi is known as the premiere areas. For many years Tavignano has been on the very short list of consistently excellent producers that have helped build their reputation among American consumers, cluing us in on just how versatile and affordable their wines are. Unless the entire Eastern edge of Italy just falls into the Adriatic, these wines are super clean, fresh, and reliable. Aged in steel on their lees for 3-4 months before bottling, the Villa Torre has a wonderful pulpy aroma of citrus skin and white fruits, with a bit of grapefruity zest and cooling savory green herbal tones. On the palate the flavors are equally snappy and mouth-filling, with a cooling mintier side with a heavier chill that gets juicier and more tropical as it gets warmer (so, within 2-3 minutes if you're outside). This is a classic antipasto wine, working with salty and savory as well as citrus and fruit, or even a cheese tray if you like, but also can follow through to fish or poultry dishes.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
Usually with the R Wines we have to wait until the Fall or Winter to find out what new surprises 'the Mind Behind' has created, but we have a special mid-Summer treat this year. For the first time this side project label for the winemaker at Lovingston Winery has released a Rose. In their own enigmatic manner, they are short on information regarding the 'what' and 'where' of the wine, but have plenty to say on the 'how', which is what always makes the R Wines so interesting." We go for a very hot maceration, 25-28 degree celsius with foot trodding to maximize flavor. No So2, no cold soak, no enzymes, no Lab yeast !!!! This is extremely risky cause we simulate a traditional mid red wine fermentation extraction method without the protection of carbon dioxide or alcohol because we haven’t even started fermentation yet. Also at these temps you can growth bad bacteria, bad yeast and fight oxidation and that’s why most wineries chill their fruit before they start and sterilize it with So2 additions and inoculate with enological yeast (fear base winemaking rightfully so cause they don’t know the circumstances of the vineyard or the condition of the fruit till the day it lands on the crush pad ). We make artistic, authentic and original wines cause the R brand is small, finance ourselves, have intense experience, work hard and diligent in our vineyards to create one of a kind, right brain wines!" (Edited for punctuation only to preserve the stream-of-consciousness vibe) If you enjoy the unique naturalist style of wines and want something that takes great strides to not taste like every other Rose on the market, this is one you have to try. Only 50 cases total made, so don't expect it to last.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
For most of winemaking history in the southern part of France, Ventoux has been the lesser achieving neighbor to the Rhone, sitting in the shadow of Chateauneuf and Gigondas as much as they do of Mt. Ventoux itself. In recent decades that reputation has started to change, especially at the lower to middle price ranges. The costs of investing in and developing a vineyard or winery is less here than the Rhone, perfect for new, ambitious winemakers or people that may not have the historical connections to family vineyards. Though the actual Chateau dates back to the mid 1700s and there are records of vineyards on these lands since Roman times, the winery itself started only in 1989, and was discovered shortly after by importer Eric Solomon/European Cellars. Since then they have been instrumental in elevating the reputation of Ventoux and the potential of the lands around them, constantly getting very positive press and reviews. This white is from their most value oriented 'Terrasses' line of wines, built primarily from Viognier but also containing healthy amounts of Roussanne and Clairette. The Viognier definitely shines through on the nose with the flowery perfume and aromatic white fruits, but the other varieties keep it from being overwhelming and introduce some nice cooling citrus notes. The palate also has the fullness from Viognier but maintains a vibrant mineral feel that freshens the flavors and brings a needed zesty tingle to the finish. A great wine for flavorful lighter dishes, things that may have a small touch of unusual spice to them.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
For most of its history the Puglia region has been outside the fame and fortune of the rest of Italy, more remote and without the major cultural or economical centers that draw the world's attention. Masseria Li Veli dates back to the 1600s and was an important model for farms in the region, but like so many fell into disrepair several times during its history and especially after World War II. Reinvestment from other parts of the country has been key, and at the turn of the century the Falvo family (famous former owners of the Avigonese winery in Tuscany) returned to their family roots to develop and expand the quality of the Li Veli wines. Fiano is a recent addition to the portfolio, more noted in Campania on the Western side of the Apennines mountains, but in there hands has shown quite well. Juicier and less mineral driven than the Campanian version, this still shows lots of zest and citrus skin character behind the fresh pear and melon tones, warm and inviting on the palate with lots of mouth-filling flavor and texture that carries no sweetness but also shows little to no astringency. A great pair with seafood or 1st course dishes that may carry some Mediterranean spice.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
A little All-American Rose for the All-American holiday this weekend. Skinner Vineyard has routinely become a favorite source here for Rhone varietal wines out of California at very fair prices, and their Rose definitely continues the trend. Their version mimics the better quality wines of Provence and Bandol moreso than ones from Tavel, going for vibrant minerality instead of juicier fruit. The blend is dominated by Counoise, Mourvedre, and Cinsault over Grenache, which are varieties that have more natural acidity and savory tones behind their fruit. They also build the wines with a bit of a 'hands off' style, not fully naturalist but using native yeasts as well as using very little manipulation into bottling. This means the wine does have a touch of sediment in the bottle, unusual for a rose, but keeps the fruit characters snappy and fresh as well as leaving a bit fuller texture on the palate that would have otherwise been lost. A great meld of red and white fruits on the nose, almost crunchy raspberry and strawberry leaf notes, and the bright acidity on the palate brings out an almost minty cool note especially when the wine is at its coolest. When warmer (or at least not right out of the fridge cool) you get more into the juicier cherry and red berry tones, but still delicious no matter when or how you enjoy it.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
Most people don't think of Sauvignon Blanc as a 'traditional' grape variety for Italy (and in comparison to the hundreds if not thousands of years in history many of their grapes have, you're probably right), but the Alto Adige isn't your usual Italian region. The history and population still has strong ties to Teutonic influences, as witnessed by the common Germanic sounding names of places and people, and it's proximity to the Alps provides a very different climate.When Sauvignon Blanc started appearing here in the late 19th century, it wasn't because of fads or marketing decisions, but because it made sense to plant it here. The climate brings the same sort of distinct vibrancy that it does with all the other successful varietals that have made a name in Alto Adige, and at their best can deliver world class examples that deserve mention with the best wines of the Loire. Probably most analogous to a Pouilly-Fume, there is a fresh underlying minerality to the white fruits rather than a piercing or tingling acidity, with round peach tones on the palate and less overt grassiness throughout. There is also that underlying savory food-friendly character so many Italian wines have that licks in on the finish, maintaining the distinct sense of place the other great Sauvignon Blancs of the world have. Enjoyable on its own, but a real stunner with local goat cheeses, white fish or rich seafood dishes. INSIDER'S PICK: 2016 'R' WINES HEIRLOOM RED MONTICELLO/ 2016 'R' WINES GRAND VIN MONTICELLO $33.996/18/2020  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
For our anniversary, not only do we enjoy celebrating our long time relationships with our customers but with our friends in the industry as well. We've known Riaan Rossouw, aka 'The Mind Behind', since his first days in Virginia wines before taking over winemaking duties at Lovingston Winery. Always thoughtful, intelligent, and a man we could talk to for hours on end, he has made the wines at Lovingston subtle and understated, sneaky excellent, but without a lot of bombast and fanfare. His R label is a yearly private project where he truly gets to create with all restrictions taken off, single barrel experiments of theories and flights of fancies with an emphasis on pushing the context of what Virginia wines are and can be. In his words, "authentic, original expressive handmade wines true to the Monticello appellation, the style vibrates; more of a Warhol, Huxley, Bo Diddly, Chet Baker, Vaughn Monroe, Boney M frequency I think!' Simple enough, don't you agree? For his last release he produced two wines from the 2016 vintage, the assemblage for each based on the ph of each lot instead of grape variety to help achieve a desired texture and feel to the wine. Another fun fact; he's not telling us what grapes are in each wine, though we have our guesses. Grand Vin is a single variety built with a French influence, while Heirloom is a multi-varietal blend with an Italian influence. Both wines are made using native yeast strains, minimal intervention, and no SO2 used at bottling. Both wines are $33.99, and you are of course welcome to buy one or the other for the Insider's Pick discount. The fun idea we wanted to promote is for customers to get one of each and take the opportunity to try them side by side, explore the concepts Riaan set forth for us.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
Trout Gulch sits along the top of the Santa Cruz Mountain range, emblematic of the term 'higher altitude vineyard'. The daily fog and cloud influence that rolls over the mountains from the nearby Pacific Ocean cools the vineyards by mitigating the heat from the sun, and the altitude guarantees the vineyards cool off more than the valley floor overnight by as much as 10-15 degrees. These cooler temperatures promote more natural acidity in the grapes when ripe and harvested, and can make for vibrant distinctive wines that many producers seek out. Several wineries source fruit from this property, often getting strong favorable press and fetching top dollar. Richard and Mary Kay Alfaro manage the property along with their own estate vineyards, and get access to some of the fruit to make into their own wine. With a fairly neutral 'hands off' style of winemaking in general, they give this brilliant quality fruit a lot of room to express itself and deliver a fantastic value for Chardonnay fans. Bright white fruit and lime notes on the nose with a little touch of creamy lemon curd, and only a touch of butteriness. The barrels used are multi-use and neutral, so the aromatics are all of the natural grape, and you can get even a touch of salinity that might be attributed to being only 4 miles from the sea. The palate is naturally rich, fleshed out a bit but some malolactic fermentation, but not so much that it obscures the flavorful sense of place the juice has, extremely lively and complex. This definitely doesn't taste like every other Californian Chardonnay, which is exactly what it wants to be.  At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
One part of staying 'normal' is to celebrate anniversaries, and June is our traditional anniversary celebration month. We will have a separate email going out soon with more details, but part of the anniversary has always been to put out wines in the Insider's Pick that are a step up from our usual choices. Unfortunately we will not be able to offer samples this year, but the discounts will still make this a very attractive offer, especially for Burgundy fans. Bruno Colin and the Colin family is one of the great names in Montrachet, primarily Chassagne-Montrachet with some holdings in Puligny-Montrachet and several Grand Cru parcels, as well as some of the satellite villages. This is their basic Bourgogne cuvee, yet this is no afterthought wine, built with the same care and treatment throughout as all their wines save a few of the 1er Cru and Grand Cru bottlings. This wine also sees some declassified fruit from their Montrachet vineyards, bringing an extra level of breeding to the bottle. We have great 'end-of-vintage' deal pricing on this wine already, so to get to try a bottle with the additional Insider's Pick discount is a real treat. Those that have tasted Chassagne-Montrachet will catch the subtle nods and nuances that make that terroir so treasured among Burgundy fans, while others can look at this as a perfect time to see what all the fuss is about without having to spend top dollar for the experience. |
The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
August 2020
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