 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.
In a month where we at Wine Warehouse are celebrating our heritage for our 27th anniversary, it would be remiss to not feature a wine that celebrates California's most important expression of it's wine heritage. Old vineyards of Zinfandel, and the other grapes that became part of the 'California Field Blend', tie back over several generations to immigration post Gold Rush, and connect to families that enabled them to survive Prohibition, the Great Depression, World Wars, and even urban sprawl. Wineries like Turley have been instrumental in identifying, championing, and in some cases rescuing these sites by featuring them in their own wines. Sometimes they can be as little as a few hundred cases, but they deserve to be known for their own identity. Not every vineyard they work with is ready or capable of being a solo act, but are still worth saving and integrated into an 'ensemble cast' wine like this one. Built from vineyards running the full length of the state from Mendocino to Paso Robles and from vines anywhere between 50 and 120+ (if Wine Warehouse was a vineyard, we would STILL be only old enough to make it into their Juveniles bottling), this, according to long time winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, 'is no better way to gauge the classic character of old vine Zinfandel in California than through this wine.' Lush and silky with loads of warm juicy red fruits and spice aromas earned through the age of the vines, not through excess sugar added or left behind. The palate is super polished with some tannins and fine acidity framing the background, but is overall a showy and intensely pleasurable modern style wine. Some may find the stated alcohol (>15%abv) a bit intimidating, but is swallowed expertly by the texture and complexity so as to not be jarring or out of balance. The epitome of a robust dinner wine, built to pair with your favorite roast beast, on or off the grill.
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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.
At this point in the Summer it sometimes feels like it's as hot here as in Africa, and it can make you wonder how there can possibly be a wine growing climate temperate enough to grow wine anywhere but at the southern cape in South Africa. Yet here we are, able to talk about a wine of this quality from Morocco, a study of micro-climates and a bit of circumstantial luck. Noted Northern Rhone/Crozes-Hermitage and St. Joseph winemaker Alain Graillot was on vacation and cycling many years back in the Zenata area of the Atlas Mountains, when he came across some vineyard parcels. The setting of the vineyard and the uniquely cool aspect of this subzone intrigued him enough to pursue more about the potential here, eventually establishing a partnership with the vineyard and developing his own wine project. You would think that Syrah grown in Morocco would have a much heavier, Southern Rhone or Aussie aspect to it, but at the expert hands of a Northern Rhone specialist like Graillot, the wine turns quite the trick of a North-meets-South character. Warm red and black fruits on the nose, slightly tarry with some sweet spice to it, but also some savory notes as well. The palate is where the Northern Rhone influence really shows itself, far less extracted than expected and a fine vibrancy from the natural acidity, bringing out the blue fruit tones. North Africa is famous historically for heady high test wines, but this is tempered at only 13.5%abv, creating a reserved, refined overall character. Tasty with rich meat dishes that have a bit of spice, or osso buco, something with some heft to it.  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.
During our anniversary special this month, we also like to break out some wines for the Insider's Pick that step things up a notch in quality, but still do things a little bit outside the norm as we always like to do here. This is a Chardonnay that definitely brings the unusual into play, while still maintaining traditional appeal and brilliance. The El Enemigo project comes from the winemaking tree of Catena Zapata, where so many advancements and top wines in Argentina have evolved from over the last few decades. Alejandro Vigil is the chief winemaker at Catena Zapata, and Adrianna Catena is a daughter of winery founder Nicolas Catena (also the namesake for one of Catena's most famous vineyards). Together they created this project to step outside the more traditional restraints of winemaking at Catena Zapata and experiment won a smaller scale with some more unique ideas. For the Chardonnay, they allow/encourage the development of flor in the barrels, a layer of yeast that creates a natural oxygen barrier in the barrel and dramatically changes the acidity and flavor development. Most famously the flor is used in making traditional Sherry and is most prevalent in the Fino and Manzanilla styles, but also plays a part in the distinct white wines from the Jura region. Vibrant gold in color, the aromas are equally energetic with lots classic Chardonnay white fruits and rich pear notes, but also a spice and nuttiness from the flor, almost saline, just hanging out in the background where the more vanilla toasty notes would sit from new oak. The palate is quite broad and mouthfilling, but the acidity retained by the flor takes all the cloying texture out of the picture, finishing quite dry and tangy. Not quite Burgundy, not quite California, still very much Chardonnay, and absolutely brilliant with richer seafood dishes where the acidity can cut through like a hot knife.  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.
The most iconic wines in the Savoie region are the ones from Abymes and Apremont featuring the Jacquere grape. These delicate and finely tuned wines are emblematic of the Alpine region, but may not be their 'best' wines made here. That honor often goes to the Roussette in many taster's minds, including the legendary author Jancis Robinson who calls it 'Savoie's most exciting white grape'. Often confabulated with the Rhone variety Roussanne (which is a rabbit hole that would triple the length of this email if we went down it), Roussette delivers the same clarity but with a more distinctive perfume and a bit more natural weight. Jacquere wines seem to revel in their lightness, while Roussette just chooses to up the volume a little bit. Beautiful white fruits and distinctive flowers on the nose, almost juicy pears in the background but lots of cool minerality that gives the fruits more mineral tones. The palate is pure crystalline white fruits with a dry but fleshy mouthfeel, fresh and lengthy on the finish. The aromas and palate get more flavorful with some time open, but there is a delightful briskness to the fruit and acidity popping it right out of the fridge on a humid day. Great to pair with delicate fish with creamier sauces, lightly spiced Asian dishes or Indian curries, and aged creamy cheeses that need a little more texture to stand up. |
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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