 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 Spinetta name has always had a reputation for doing things a little bit differently since they moved from strictly farming to producing their own wines in the late 1970s. From single site Moscato d'Asti to putting modern flair into their red wines, the family has always been willing to step away from the strict traditions and history Italian wines carry. I mean, of all the native art and architecture in Italy, who would turn to a 16th century German woodcarving of a rhinoceros as their label image? Anyway, in 2001 they took their success in the Piedmont to a new production in Tuscany, Casanova della Spinetta, to focus on Sangiovese and other native varieties in this region. One of their consistently greatest successes from this project is this rose, masterfully crafted from Sangiovese and Prugnolo Gentile, the variant of Sangiovese found around the city of Montepulciano and used to make their Vino Nobile. Surprisingly fresh and mineral driven, the nose and palate carry an impressive underlying tone of melon and citrus behind the bright strawberry and cherry skin tones, feeling like it comes from a much cooler climate than Tuscany. The texture is fairly round and mouth-filling, but feels quenching after each sip, lingering with light red fruits and a prickle of acidity. Fans of dry rose in general should find this fun to try as it presents grapes you rarely taste in this form, especially with such obvious quality.
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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.
A new vintage for one of our favorite wines, not only because it's delicious but that it breaks down multiple misconceptions all at once. The Union Sacre label has been a source of great 'against-the-grain' Californian wines for several years now, as it is a side project between two wine making friends that allows them to work small batches and create wines that they find exciting. For the Gewurztraminer they go for an Alsatian style that focuses less on the sticky sweetness and more on the perfume, which is really the hallmark of the grape. When the grape ripens in a cooler climate, it doesn't get as much natural sugar and retains more acidity, which allows the finished wine to ferment more completely dry and keep a fresher, cleaner feel on the palate. The grape also ripens with a very slight pigment to the skin, so when the juice is aged on the skins to give it more flavor there is the slightest salmon color tint. This is NOT a sweet Gewurztraminer, and it is NOT a Rose wine in the traditional terms, so let those notions fly right out the window. Super spicy aromas of lychee fruit and magnolia blossoms, citrus zest and candied limes, nothing overpowering but enough that you can notice it a foot or two away from the glass. The palate is equally perfumed and refreshing, a little touch of juiciness in the fruit but nothing sticky or cloying at all, and an actual bit of skin tannin dryness on the finish. A must-have to pair with foods with a bit of spice to it, as well as any foods with nutmeg, like pumpkin soup.  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.
Portugal has an extensive history of wine production, but outside of the fortified Ports and Madeiras not a lot of that has been for higher quality. The Vinho Verde region has been particularly plagued by that reputation, as the name has become so synonymous with the slightly fizzy and inexpensive white wine it became 'famous' for, there is little recognition by the public they are capable of doing anything else. It's a similar situation to the reputation Zinfandel has domestically due to being 'famous' for making semi-sweet White Zinfandel, so few people realize the grape is capable of making spectacular dry red wines. That reputation is starting to change in general for Vinho Verde over the last decade or so, but some producers have been pursuing that ideal for much, much longer. Quinta do Ameal has been known as a distinctive spot for growing grapes since the walled vineyard was established after World War II, and has been pushed to the forefront since the Araujo family (former founders/owners of port house Ramos Pinto)) purchased and renovated the property. Early on they recognized the distinct potential for the Loureiro grape in their particular microclimate, and were among the very first to develop single varietal non-fizzy Vinho Verde like this, with Alvarinho (Albarino) also a featured variety. Vibrant zesty lime and a somewhat sea-spray sort of cool salinity on the nose gives the wine a great refreshing pop from the moment it's poured, actually enhanced with a bit of chill, not muted like many other white wines can be. The palate is full of juicy cool citrus and again plenty of lime tones; there is probably a touch of residual sugar here (evidenced by the low 11%abv), but it's there to help balance the mouth-puckering acidity, which would be almost uncomfortably drilling into the palate and on the finish without it. Just enough to take the sting out and let you concentrate on the refreshing flavors. Much like a Muscadet from France, this is an ideal wine to do with briny oysters and shellfish, but actually performs at its best with more oily and herbal influenced seafood preparations, as well as light summery citrus 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.
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. |
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
July 2024
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