 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.
AMENDED HOURS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE-9:30-6:00pm CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY Last minute gifts needed? Got a get-together you forgot about and need to make an impression? Just found out that present you were counting on isn't going to ship in time and need to pivot quick? We got you covered with an under the radar producer that's been a great source for high quality at some unexpectedly great prices for several vintages. There are more than a few higher end producers in Sonoma's Knights Valley (Peter Michael perhaps the best known) but the value for the dollar is this strong, and the wines do tend to offer a difference to their Napa neighbors. A little darker currant, a little more tannin and earthy structure, perhaps a little more acidity and less 'weight' which gives them some freshness. This is an offering that shows it all off, as well as a bit of added polish to the texture from having a bit of time in the bottle. The oak notes also drop away fairly quickly with a decant, making this a great one to enjoy with any upcoming festive meals.
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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.
We love consistency from a producer, being able to lock in their spot on the floor from vintage to vintage almost without needing to taste them (though we always do). When it comes to Rhone varietals from California, Andrew Murray is about as consistent a source as it gets over the last decade or so. Syrah in particular has been exceptional even in some of the more difficult vintages, a credit to the time they've put in at their estate and their vineyards have matured to optimum efficiency. A lot of Syrah planting really didn't kick in until the latter part of the 1990s, so it's taken a while to get the quality and volume from these vineyards to get consistent values year after year. Tous Les Jours is the winery's multi-vineyard blend, and about as strong a deal as you will find in California from almost any varietal. Dark in color and immediately pleasurable from first pour with loads of warm cherry and black fruits on the nose that evolve more currant and dark spice as it opens up, really filling the space around the glass with its perfume over time. The palate is everything that California Syrah has become, with fine polished tannins similar to a Pinot Noir but more flesh and darker, more structured fruit to the mouthfeel. It also doesn't have the boozy extracted side that Australian Shiraz is prone to, instead hitting a plush balance. A great wine for people looking for a 'bigger' flavor in their wine that still don't want something aggressively tannic, and perfect for hearty Winter meals.  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.
Progressing into the Winter season, with more consistently cold days and early arriving nights, we tend to make heartier meals to help keep us warm. Bigger wines are where our tendencies go to pair with these meals, and most people go for things like Bordeaux, Cab Sauv and the like, all of which are wonderful choices. But those wines often take some time to really be at their best, either decanting or a number of years in the cellar, and can be lacking in adaptability or spontaneity. When you want a more 'pop and go' type red, wines like this Mencia are a great one to have at hand. This red grape is prevalent in the Spanish regions along the Old Castile/Galician border, and performs very well as either a robust, extracted and oak aged wine or in a leaner, more approachable one without losing any complexity or intrigue. This pours in the glass with no lack of color or aromatics, with lots of briary dark fruits, dried sage, anise notes and bitter cocoa. The palate isn't thick in texture, but it doesn't taste like there's anything missing from the wine, and the dark fruit flavors are fully ripe and penetrating with no hard edges. The fine persistent tannins definitely bring home the savory herbs and dusty fruit to the finish, easily helping it stand up to most meat dishes without being a bruiser on its own. Great with leaner dishes as well that may not have a lot of fat to cut through. INSIDER'S PICK: 2019 HERDADE DO ROCIM TOURIGA NACIONAL ALENTEJANO $19.99 (Wine Advocate 89points)12/2/2021  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.
Lots and lots of fun, diverse wines coming out of Portugal these days. Real game changers in terms of quality and value, great mix of traditional character and modern innovation. Most of the wine consumers recognize comes from the North in the Vinho Verde, Douro and Dao regions, but the wines of the South are growing in notoriety, especially those in Alentejano. Herdade do Rocim is one of the most exciting wineries here, working with the native varietals in an organic/vegan process and mixing in things like amphora aging and natural fermentations with more modern methods. You see a lot more of Touriga Nacional in the Douro and Dao regions, the backbone of Port and increasingly featured in the more hearty dry wines of the region, but Rocim put a delicious twist on it. Still an inky purple/blue in the glass, but fresher aromatics of blue fruits and fresh tar, even a hint of citrus zest. The palate is a lot less dense and extracted than expected as well, purposely so to avoid the harder edged tannins Touriga can often deliver, and this wine wants to be easy to access. Supple dark berries all over the place on the palate with a little bit of fine edged tannins that give a dusty finish but don't stain it for hours. A very gulpable food friendly wine that can even stand a touch of chill in warmer weather but also stands up well to Winter comfort foods. |
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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