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INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 TENUTA DI AGLAEA ETNA ROSSO $21.99

9/24/2015

Sicily's Mount Etna has more than a millenia of winemaking history under its belt, but it has really been in the past few decades that the wines have become recognized on a world scale. The native red a white varieties are unique even to the rest of Sicily, and the volcanic soils have prevented the spread of phylloxera among many of the vineyards, so the wines can claim a much more ancient character. Though a relatively new producer (in the grand scheme of Etna, anyway), Tenuta di Aglaea is a specialist in the Nerello Mascalese grape, with several of their small terraced vineyards sitting among those owned by the famous Passopisciaro winery. There are only enough of their two wines to be counted in the hundreds of cases, but thanks to the efforts of a local importer we not only have good access to the wines, but are priced incredibly well to boot.

Despite being a traditionally lighter weight and lower alcohol variety, Nerello has an intense dried red fruit and savory aroma that brings loads of presence to the glass. You can almost smell the black lava soils behind the smoky cherry and flowers, with a complex and ever-changing subtlety that makes it understandable why many reviewers will compare these wines with great Burgundy. On the palate the tannins are incredibly fine and dusty (again drawing comparison to Burgundy) but also persistent, which can also be compared to Nebbiolo in the Langhe/Piedmont. The fruit is lessened on the palate as well, allowing more savory notes and dried spice to come through. These are wines that are blowing up across the country on restaurant wine lists as the acidity and fine texture play very well with subtle fine flavors, and it will do very well at your dinner table as well when you're looking for something a little more creative.

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INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 ANTHILL FARMS GRENACHE STEEL PLOW VINEYARD SONOMA VALLEY $23.99

9/17/2015

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Most wines are made from extensive planning and many months if not years of forethought. Sometimes a wine comes from a great winery being in the right place at the right time to create an isolated moment of brilliance. Anthill Farms has built a strong reputation over the last decade primarily for their cool climate Pinot Noirs from Anderson Valley and the foggy Western vineyards of Sonoma, filled with vibrant acidity and elegant, complex red fruits. The majority of their grapes come from contracted vineyards sourced from various farmers across the regions, and usually they receive exactly what they planned for and nothing more. In 2013 a grower had extra Grenache (either through a larger than usual crop size or a contract that went unclaimed) offered to them on the cheap, which gave the crew at Anthill to step outside their usual realm and attempt a one time effort they could roll out at an exceptional price for the quality.
Slightly pale and ruby red in the glass, this is obviously not your standard jammy and fruit forward Grenache typically found in the Rhone or Spain and emulated much of the warmer parts of the world. Crunchy red fruits and dried spices abound on the nose that gain more cherry sweetness as it opens up but never get sappy or cloying. On the palate the acidity is lively and very penetrating, almost calling to mind some of the Old World Italian or Spanish wines from nearly forgotten grapes off harsh, unforgiving soils. Patience is rewarded for letting the wine breathe for an hour or more, as the more familiar juicy textures start to appear and soften the edges of the acidity, but it never looses its fine edge or remarkable vibrancy. All too often Pinot Noir is made to appeal to the big fruit Grenache drinker, but here we work in the other direction as this is clearly a Grenache made to appeal to the Pinot drinker.

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INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 CHATEAU d'EPIRE SAVENNIERES $21.99

9/10/2015

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The choice of wine today is purely for selfish and self-serving reasons, as this is a brand new arrival we have been DYING to try again. This is one of the most noted producers in Savennieres, a smallish region in the Loire noted for their dry, flinty styled Chenin Blanc that provides a completely different style to the honeyed character of Vouvray found just a few miles upriver. The estate itself is part of the great architectural history of the Loire, from its 12th century chapel to the main chateau based on the 'Petit Trianon' of Versailles. What is in the bottle is equally special, having been under control of the Bizard family since the 1850s and part of the legendary Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants import portfolio almost since the beginning.
Clear, bright stone fruit and pear aromas jump out at first, without some of the funkier notes some Savennieres can display. There is a touch of the salty seashell note behind the fruit, somewhat similar to Muscadet, but always well behind the fruit on the nose. On the palate the fruit is almost crystalline, racy and bright with very lean lime and melon rind texture at first that gains the white fruits found in the nose as it opens up slowly. A wine that you would probably want to either plan to drink over two or more days or decant, because it does take some time to get to the complex fruit character that exists underneath. This is the 'basic' bottling from the estate, built to be bright and easy to enjoy during its relative youth; there is also a 'Cuvee Speciale' bottling we also got in (but not open for tasting at this time) that is created for Kermit Lynch, aged in old chestnut barrels and bottled unfiltered that is built for the long term, so make sure you grab the right one for your purposes.

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INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 POST HOUSE 'BLUEISH WHITE'

9/3/2015

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We featured this producer's red wine from this series in our August Select Six, an exciting new addition to our expanding South African selection brought in by one of our better local importers. The winery was founded on the property of the old post office in the Stellenbosch town of Raithby, and the names for all their wines refer to philately with either historically significant stamps or in this case color terminology. This beautiful little value combines the two white grape varieties that have come to represent South Africa's wine success the best, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. The Sauvignon Blancs combine the best qualities of the juicy and more modern New Zealand versions and the more traditional and crisp Loire ones, while the Chenin Blancs deliver a round yet dry character that occasionally hint slightly to the honeyed aromas made famous in Vouvray. Brought together here, they deliver fantastic freshness and complexity that is genuinely exciting for the price point. Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant variety in the blend, and the grassy citrus aroma reaffirms that, with maybe a touch of melon emerging as it opens up from the Chenin Blanc. In the mouth the Chenin becomes much more noticeable, providing richness on the palate and calming some of the more assertive edges of the Sauvignon Blanc. A very pleasant cocktail or light seafood/vegetable wine.

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INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 TENUTA DI AGLAEA ETNA ROSSO $21.99

INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 ANTHILL FARMS GRENACHE STEEL PLOW VINEYARD SONOMA VALLEY $23.99

INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 CHATEAU d'EPIRE SAVENNIERES $21.99

INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 POST HOUSE 'BLUEISH WHITE'

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