 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.
While we tend to pick wines that stick with the more traditional and historic varietal blends, there are the occasional unique combinations that we just can't resist. South Africa isn't fettered by traditions, so the idea of bringing together varietals from Bordeaux, the Rhone, and even a touch of Burgundy isn't frowned upon. Mashups can be a disaster (Tik-Tok is littered with them) but when they work like this they can be quite delightful.Primarily Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (a classic combo in Bordeaux), you catch the grassy, resinous aromas at first from here, and on the palate get the zest and crisp fruits. Viognier is next in line from the Rhone, which is mostly there for the pop of perfume, lots of white flowers in the mix without dominating. Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc round out the mix bringing some added texture and body, nothing oak aged or buttery here, just filling out the mouthfeel and some soft length to the finish. This is one of those wines that can scratch the itch of many palates, perfect for a diverse group that enjoy trying things a little bit unexpected from time to time.
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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.
Building on the theme from last week of Californian producers that break down the stereotypical concepts of their wines, we have one of the top names in the movement to make vibrant, understated wines in the state. Lioco was started about 15 years ago by two restaurant professionals who were weary of the overall perceived style of Californian wines and the lack of choices that really offered anything different. Another part of their mission statement was to focus on responsible growers that farmed as naturally as possible. Sourcing fruit from across California but with a focus on the North Coast region, their wine catalog features many great sites and undiscovered gems that help them to deliver exactly the type of wines they sought so many years ago. This is their entry level Chardonnay blended from several sustainable/ organic/ biodynamic sites in Sonoma County, and is a great introduction not only into their style but the idea of the 'naturalist' hands-off style of winemaking. Aged on the lees in a combination of tank and larger neutral oak tanks, this is about as zesty a Chardonnay as you will find in most vintages, but the mild weather of 2018 really allowed them to build an amplified version of their vision. Vibrant citrus peel and lemon curd aromas on the nose mix with pear and white flower notes, even some cool herbal tones. On the palate the lees aging and malolactic fermentation bring some weight and texture to the fresh citrus and rindy melon flavors, but doesn't weigh them down with buttery notes, just amps them up. This is also a white wine that definitely benefits from some decanting or time open, boosting the aromatics and seemingly adding weight to the mouthfeel.Ideal to match with most any richer fish or white meat dish, able to handle strong herbs, salty and citrusy ingredients with relative ease.  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.
Field Recordings is one of our favorite examples of the innovative and experimental element that exists in contrast to what many people think of as the typical Californian wine style. Owner and winemaker Andrew Jones has made his name across the Central Coast from his work tending vineyards and nurseries at some of the best properties. When he looked to start making his own wines and follow his own path, he looked to those vineyards he helped to grow and establish by sourcing any extra tonnage they could offer. Each vintage he has been able to cobble together more and more sources, enabling the brand to grow. While the sources aren't constant and the wines aren't the same year to year, the quality of technique shines through, and his nod to the more 'hands off' styles of winemaking have gained him quite a following from customers eager to try his latest creations. Last year's Rose, for example, was designated Edna Valley and contained a high percentage of Valdigue along with Molinara and Grenache. New vintage, new sources, new blend of mostly Grenache with a smaller portion of Valdigue, still delicious. Super juicy and mouthfilling with loads of warm watermelon and strawberry fruit all over it. At first taste it may seem lower in acidity, and the lower alcohol (just under 11%abv) may make you think it's sweeter than normal. The Grenache was picked early to keep the sugars and alcohol lower and acidity higher specifically to make this rose, and you catch the snap of freshness on the finish because of it. The cooler it is the more that acidity pops, but as it warms the fruit and subtle herbal tones come out, so you may want to play around with it to find your optimal enjoyment center.  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.
The Muscat grape has lots of iterations and clone variations across the wine world, so it's tough to pin an identity to it. Many versions take the easy road and, like Gewurztraminer, play off its natural perfume and make them sweeter. Zibibbo is the Sicilian name for the Muscat of Alexandria clone that traces itself back to Egypt and is one of the older known varieties in winemaking, and they specialize in making it as a vibrant dry style of wine. This wine has grown in popularity with many of the more 'naturalist' style of winemakers that have evolved on the Mount Etna side of the island, as the grape doesn't need to be weighty or intensely ripe to deliver great character and complexity. This is yet another wine from the Valdibella co-operative near Palermo, using strictly organic growers for all their goods, and we have yet to find anything from them that isn't impressive in both quality and value. A big pop of perfume from the first pour filled with magnolia blossoms and orange citrus, but also notes of lime and wet stone type minerality. Lots of fragrance, but it all stops short of seeming sweet in any way, and the palate drives that home with a refreshing burst of acidity and zesty fruit, medium bodied but not cloying at all, and an impressively clean tangy finish. An exciting and entertaining wine to pair with Mediterranean dishes that have a kick of pepper and 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.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region of France is quickly becoming the hot destination for young winemakers to strike out and be innovative, especially those that find the more established appellation systems too restrictive. Joseph Paille grew up in the wine industry in Anjou, and after his education took him across the globe (even a brief stint in Virginia during the early 2000s) joined with his stepfather Jo Pithon to create the Pithon Paille winery. For almost a decade they built a very accomplished name together, but Joseph felt the pull of doing something new, and went to Roussillon to start Domaine Benastra. Sourcing old vineyards and taking his extensive organic/bidynamic farming expertise honed in the Loire to new territories, he's building wines that are leaping to the forefront of the region. Built from an even blend of Macabeo (some vines as old as 70 years) and Grenache Blanc and using both used barrels and large foudres for aging, this white shows both traditional and 'naturalist' appeal. Naturally occurring malolactic fermentation gives the wine a some rich pear and white fruit aromas, as well as rounding out the texture on the palate, but doesn't extinguish the zest and vibrancy of the fruit. The use of native yeasts is definitely present to perk up the subtle minty herb tones and a bit of tangy acidity to the finish, but doesn't dominate the character of the wine. A great match with fairly full bodied fish and white meat dishes, able to handle strong herb or salty ingredients with relative ease.  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.
(This wine is also a recent addition to the wines we are offering for our Charlottesville Community Restaurant Fund 3pack, so now you have 4 different wines to pick from. The importer for these wines, Ole & Obrigato, will donate 50% of their profits on these wines to the Charlottesville Community Restaurant Fund through the end of May.) Albarino is a fantasic naive grape variety of the area along the Minho River, which make up the northern border of Portugal with Spain. Most people recognize it more from the wines of the Rias Baixas area in Spain, but it makes up a large portion of the white wine success in the blends of Vinho Verde wines in Portugal as well. In recent years more Portuguese winemakers in this area have been doing more and more single varietal wines, letting the wine drinking public know they aren't one trick ponies and can make wines with great diversity that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Some Alvarinhos play up the more tropical and floral side of the grape, but this version plays off their proximity to the sea and the high minerality in the soils. Bright white fruit aromas are cut with a touch of salinity and citrus zest, which becomes quenching and tangy on the palate. Think of it like a Muscadet from the Loire, but juicier, both in character and in the way to enjoy it, perfect with briny seafood dishes or lightly salty cheeses and salads.  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.
In the wilds of northern Albemarle County, in the true shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains where cell phone service gets really sketchy, sits Dovecote Farm Vineyards. Planted in 2014 and with only an acre of Chardonnay under vine, it may be early to get TOO excited, but the quality they've pulled from their first vintage makes them worth some extra attention. Their first vintages are being contracted for them at King Family Vineyards, but the fruit is 100% theirs and shows some real distinction. Fresh pear and white fruits on the nose with a touch of zest and minimal oak aromas to get in the way, this is not a wine that's had a heavy hand put to it. The palate has nice natural weight to it, tricky to get from such young vines in the tough 2018 vintage, and again the restrained hand in the winemaking brings just enough malolactic butteriness to give it some flesh, not enough to obscure all the vibrant fruit. A classic Virginia Chardonnay at a very fair price.  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.
We have always taken great pride in having our store set up to display our wines by region, believing the environment and culture of where the wine is grown is paramount in shaping what the wine becomes. If there is one flaw to this methodology, it's when we have a great wine using a grape that isn't historically part of that region's reputation. Pinot Nero, or Pinot Noir, is cultivated in spots of Italy, mostly across the Northeast and Lombardy where it is used as the base of many sparkling wines or fairly basic reds. Nowhere does it take on the structure and seriousness that the varietal finds in Burgundy, yet amid the famous Nebbiolo vineyards around Neive in the heart of Barbaresco we find this fascinating example. If we were to sort by varietal here, this would sit proudly among our many Bourgogne Rouge selections and nobody would bat an eye at it being misplaced. Polished, elegant fruit with very little oak intrusion, fine earthy tannins that bring out the savory fruit and truffle-y flavors. Perhaps a touch of Italian wldness in the mix to make it stand differently than a Bourgogne, but every bit as tasty and every bit worthwhile for Burgundy fans to try at this price.  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 high end wineries don't specialize in just the expensive stuff, usually finding ways to spread their expertise into the more everyday wine realm. Often they will reinvest into lesser known growing areas nearby where the vineyards are less expensive and the potential is less explored, making the perfect opportunity to both create a quality money making value AND raise the perception of an area. The Brunier family, famed for their long time ownership of iconic estate Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, have been producing this wine from a blend of sites across the Rhone and Ventoux regions for over 30 years, sourcing and purchasing vineyards that have the materials to make a value wine that still carries the traditional characters found in their estate wines. Primarily Grenache with varying percentages of Syrah, Carignan, Mourvedre, and Cinsault depending on the vintage, this speaks of the intensity of the Rhone but also shows off impressive elegance and subtlety for the more patient drinkers. Deep dark fruits abound on the nose, especially when first opened, but gets wilder and savory as it opens up with loads of earth and herbs emerging. With much of the aging and fermentation happening in cement tanks, there is more of a natural fullness to the texture, mouth filling but not heavy or overly saturated. allowing the multi-layered plum, raspberry and black cherry fruit to mingle with the roasted game and savory. It's like a well cooked game bird was distilled down into bottle form, which is a classic Rhone wine character born from using all grape varieties at their disposal. Blends like this are great gateways into trying the traditional Chateauneuf producers, and ideal for cellaring on the cheap or enjoying over several hours.  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.
The Paardeberg Mountain range sit along the borders of the Paarl and Swartland regions of South Africa. Babylon's Peak Winery occupies one of the highest altitudes for vineyards on the Swartland side of the mountains, which gives them uniquely rough porous limestone soils as well as a cooler wind-swept climate than the rest of the region. This provides their Rhone varietal wines a leaner, more elegant side that isn't so heavy and dependent on sweeter fruits. Not quite a replacement for a Northern Rhone wine, but definitely invites comparison. Deep and dark in color, it doesn't lack for impact on the nose with lots of currants and black fruits, but also hints of dark flowers, and peppery meats, more savory before the sweet. The palate is equally impactful, but with more polished textures and fine tannins than thick mouthfilling extraction. Elegant, lengthy dark fruits and savory tones, even a bit of acidity that brings out pops of higher toned blue fruits lingering on the finish. Would probably put this closer to the Rhone side of the variety (even though they chose to call it Shiraz like the Aussies do), but any fan of Syrah/Shiraz should give this great value a whirl. |
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
May 2020
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