 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. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
While this may look like a 'follow-up' to our last Insider's Pick with the Tuscan Cabernet Sauvignon, somewhat of a series featuring outsider varieties done in Italy, it actually isn't. Pinot Noir (also designated Pinot Nero) actually has a long well established history in this Alpine region of Italy, far before it became an internationally fashionable variety. Because of the cooler climate, they actually have quite a Burgundian aspect to their style, and with the fast escalation of Burgundy pricing not looking to subside any time soon, it's a great alternative that hasn't been really 'discovered' as much yet. The white wines from this high quality cooperative aggressively populate our store selection, and have appeared once or twice in the Insider's Pick before, so the fact they have such an excellent red should be no surprise to anyone. Polished savory fruit on the nose with touches of dark spice and cola-ish notes, with red berry tones coming out as it opens and evolves without much in the way of any oak coming through, a very natural expression of Pinot Noir here. The palate is equally elegant and flavorful, very pretty with again a polished character to the fruit with the fine tannins, more akin to a Cote de Beaune style in Burgundy versus the darker and more intense character usually found in a Cote de Nuits. If you are an Old World style Pinot fan, do NOT hesitate to give these a try.
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 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. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
For Valentine's Day coming this weekend (just in case you forgot), we're showing off something nicer than usual in the Insider's Pick, as well as something a little atypical. Cabernet Sauvignon and the other Bordeaux varieties are very much interlopers in Tuscany, largely ignored and even discouraged within the Chianti borders until the success of early Bolgheri region wines in the early 1970s. It took until the 1990s for adjustments to be made to the Italian DOC laws to make inclusions that acknowledge the high quality potential for Cab Sauv here, and even then there was a lot of controversy about wineries trying to 'sneak it in' to their traditional wines in an effort to boost intensity. Now the region has evolved to be more inclusive, allowing wines such as this to not only exist but thrive. Nothing about this wine screams Tuscany at first glance, from being 100% Cabernet to the Thelonius Monk label image. But as most things complex and outstanding, it starts to make sense on closer inspection, such as the Monk photo is from a live album recorded in Milan in 1961. And while the wine won't be confused with a Chianti Classico, it's dripping with Tuscan character that definitely stands it out from a Californian or Bordeaux. Savory dark fruit, black spice and graphite on the nose with only a touch of well absorbed new oak at first, and evolving well over several hours in the glass or a decanter to bring out dried spices, anise and Brunello-esque dusty herbs. The palate is full but not saturated, lighter on its feet than even a Bordeaux, with very fine but firm tannins that give the flavors and finish plenty of intensity. A wine that easily has another decade or more of life ahead of it, but can make a long weekend evening that much more enjoyable right now.  As we always like to break down wine misconceptions, this will efficiently pull double duty for us by showing off how Beaujolais isn't too light for colder weather AND that all Beaujolais should be drunk as young as possible. Morgon has always had a place of distinction as one of the top Crus in the region, with its distinct decomposed old volcanic soils, known as 'rotten rock' in the local vernacular, and has built a reputation for producing some of the most intensive versions of the Gamay grape you will find. This bottling also has the benefit of being sourced from the family's oldest parcel, some exceeding 100 years, which further intensifies the resulting juice. Loads of bright cherry aromas at first on the nose, almost juicy initially, but slowly showing more of the gamey and higher toned red fruits that are so classically Beaujolais as it opens and evolves. The texture in the mouth is surprisingly sappy for Gamay, big on the cherry and bright red fruits on the palate with the silky tannins bringing the drier tones and savory flavors through on the finish. This is Gamay that can stand toe to toe with any basic Bourgogne Pinot Noir in terms of substance and intensity, and would wager that it's just starting to get into its peak drinking window, with an easy 5-7 years still ahead of it. An open bottle of ours still shows quite nicely even 2-3 days after being opened, which is a great sign of its potential longevity. Awesome with roasted chicken and charcuterie.
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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
October 2024
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