![]() 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 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. One of our favorite things to do here is busting myths or old tropes about wine. A lot of consumers believe that California Chardonnay is always oaky and buttery (as if there was a law in place for it), and when it isn't like that it's a sign the wine is cheap. These tropes do have some basis in history. When the juice from Chardonnay is lighter bodied from younger vines or a lower quality site, oak will easily dominate the wine's flavor, and the cost of replenishing new barrels is usually reserved for the wines that will fetch a higher price point. This style of winemaking also makes for a richer, smoother, more buttery flavor in Chardonnay, and not everyone wants it that way. The Chablis region in particular shows off its cool climate acidity and chalky minerality with producers rarely using any oak even at the higher price levels, and more producers than ever are looking to emulate that style. Even in California; actually should say ESPECIALLY in California, as there are so many different climates that are begging for some diversity. Hendry's estate vineyards sit in the hills just above the Carneros district at the foot of Mount Veeder, getting a lot of cooling breeze effects off the mountains without as much lingering fog as Carneros. Their vineyards also feature the Dijon clone of Chardonnay, which tend to give a bit more naturally concentrated juice so the richness usually added by malolactic fermentation isn't missed by its absence. Racy lemon curd and green apple aromas that get warmer and richer the longer the wine is open, also bringing in some orange citrus tones. the mouthfeel is nicely rich but shows lots of tingly acidity and tart citrus in behind the round apple and pit fruit flavors, more of a Cotes de Beaune type character than a racy Chablis. Surprisingly light on its feet, a delicious choice with citrus seasoned poultry and pastas.
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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 on Thursday and Friday. 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. A lot of the Loire wine region is going through some dire struggles. Along with the worldwide difficulties that have impacted all our lives over the last 2+ years, the Loire has suffered back to back vintages where the vineyard yields have been cut in half or worse. Early frost damage, hail storms while grapes are on the vines, and plant damage from both those events has left many with little to sell. The quality of what has survived is still lovely, especially in the hands of quality producers, there just isn't much of it. Thomas-Labaille is a long standing and well regarded producer that owns about 20 acres of Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in and around the legendary commune of Chavignol, including a part of the steeply sloping and iconic Mont Damnes vineyard. The yield from Mont Damnes was so small this vintage for them that the winery decided it was not feasible to make a separate bottling, and was better used to bolster their regular l'Authentique. The quality of the wine that made it to the bottle is still deliciously classic Sancerre, so if you weren't in the market for any higher end Sancerre wines anyway this addition is actually in your favor. Clean, pure and zesty with lots of mineral driven white fruits and definite notes of chalk and seashell so classic in the from wines around Chavignol, indeed enhanced by being 'touched by greatness' and the small percentage of Mont Damnes in the mix. A bit tight being so newly bottled, the fruit definitely gets fuller and juicier the longer it's open, and can even use with a good decant if possible. Even in a tough year there's a lot to enjoy here. ![]() 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 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 Marlborough region in New Zealand is like Napa is in California, the region that gets all the hype, notoriety and tourism around their wines, almost a Disneyland-like aura. By that analogy, the Nelson region is like Mendocino, remote and out of the way, quietly making terrific wines under the radar. Though just to the Northwest of Marlborough over the Richmond Range mountains, the atmosphere couldn't be more different, and the wine character is noticeably different as well. Seifried is one of the older wine names in this region, and their Old Coach Road label uses fruit from regional vineyards that they source to make a value-oriented wine that really shows off the Nelson character. Bright, cooler citrus on the nose with hints of herbs and minerality, almost more a Loire aromatic than a New Zealand one. The palate is full of juicy green fruits, kiwi and gooseberry, as well as some soft peach/white fruits, almost hinting at sweet fruits but with a bright tang of acidity that helps the finish come dry on the palate. Super refreshing with lighter meals or as a cocktail, and a wine that should help convince you that there is in fact diversity to be had in New Zealand wines. ![]() 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 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. Often when a wine is described as being a 'single vineyard', the costs usually skyrocket. And deservedly so in the more famous and high end regions, as they are meant to express the very best sites. In some of the more fun cases, like this one, it's more about expressing a unique identity, something that can't be formulated and replicated in a lab. It doesn't even have to be 'The Best', just the fact that it exists and has something distinct to add to the general wine conversation is important. Much of what the Faugeres region has become known for in recent years has been fairly hearty, modern style rich reds with lots of Rhone style Syrah and Grenache. This is pretty much none of that. The source is a 2 acre walled in 'clos' tucked away in a hillside that can only be accessed by a path and small doorway (pictured here from the importer's web site; a mere bottle shot just wouldn't do it justice this week). You genuinely would not be surprised if there was a hobbit house sitting just of frame. The vineyard itself was started over 200 years ago, still containing some vines that are pre-phylloxera, and as the tradition was of the time is interplanted with both red and white varieties. At least 13 different ones have been identified with a few yet unknown. Built with a very natural 'non-interventionist' style, co-fermenting all the grapes together with native yeasts, this wine truly tastes like itself and itself only. Slightly pale red in the glass with a savory, slightly barnyard-y nose (might be the fertilizer made with the help of the neighbor's cow?) that blows off to show lots of earthy red fruit tones and dried herbs. The palate is not extracted or thick, with lots of meaty red fruit tones made a bit tart by the natural acidity, and a slightly gritty savory finish. Great to pair with easy, rustic dishes with a bit of meat to it, anything from chicken to beef. ![]() 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 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. We love a good winery story here, especially when it starts out in a wine store. Mike Januik got in at the very earliest stages of the Washington wine explosion after trading his love of selling wine at his Oregon retail store for making his own starting in 1984. After 15 years of successful winemaking for others, he created his own label under his own name. Around the same time, he started consulting on a new planting project in an undiscovered part of the Columbia Valley called Frenchman Hills, and when the vines here began to bear fruit the Novelty Hill wines were made in partnership at the Januik Wines facility. Both brands have exploded and expanded over the last 20 years and share their facilities and tasting rooms to this day. This red blend is the quintessential look at what Washington can do with traditional Bordeaux varietals, noticeably different than say a Cali/Napa one, but if you like it than you'll LOVE what you get for the price point. Deep, dark color with lots of rich polished black fruits and sweet tobacco leaf on the nose with some barrel notes that get pushed down fairly quickly as it opens up. Very polished texture on the palate at first showing lots of of the dark fruit from the nose, then picking up some dusty cocoa-ish tannins and some fruit skin notes to the finish. Definitely a modern style wine that has lots of immediate pleasure as well as character that makes it stand out from the usual suspects out there. |
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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