 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 are also doing both a white and a red option each week, with the white wine available for the discount on Thursday and Friday, while the red wine available on Friday and Saturday. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
All too often we (industry and consumers alike) tend to lump Australian wines into one overriding style, the weighty and often oversized or over-saturated wines defined by so many 'critter labels' that way too many producers lived up to (or down to). We forget there are actually quite a few distinct and desirable regions across the continent, and there are plenty of great producers there that take advantage of their resources. Coonawarra is a fairly narrow band in the Limestone Coast near Adelaide, defined by the distinct red soil that stands it out from the marshy lands around it. Combined with the cooling conditions from the Great Australian Bight Sea, it is ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, and the variety has dominated plantings here since the 1950s and the transition from fortified wines into more refined table wines. Big in presence but not overpowering, the coolness and soil character come through on the nose with notes of herbs and eucalyptus behind the bold black fruits. The palate won't be confused for a Bordeaux with its lush texture, but is by no means over the top, with plenty of vibrant acidity and fine tannins to get the savory tones in with the currents and blackberry. Only the staunchest Old World drinkers won't enjoy giving this a try, a great dinner wine that doesn't really need too much time open to really get rolling.
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INSIDER'S PICK: 2019 DOMAINE DES DEUX CLES 'JEUX DE CLES BLANC' ROUSSANNE VIN DE FRANCE $28.999/24/2020  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 are also doing both a white and a red option each week, with the white wine available for the discount on Thursday and Friday, while the red wine available on Friday and Saturday. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.
Labeling can make it difficult to tell the whole tale about a wine, especially when something different is being done. In France, for example, anything that falls outside the regulations of their Appellation or Vin De Pays is designated Vin De France. For most of history Vin de France was seen as the lowest quality wine, often not even requiring vintages on the label, and generally only consumed in the cafes and local restaurants cheaply by the carafe. Sometimes excellent wines fall outside those sometimes strict guidelines, a problem many of the experimental and 'natural' winemakers run into frequently. This meticulously crafted Roussanne comes from organic/Biodynamic parcels at the higher elevations of the Corbieres region in Languedoc, worthy of being discussed with similarly made versions from the Rhone, yet can only carry a Vin De France designation. Hopefully we can convince you to see past that to experience what's in the bottle. Immensely fresh in character, with only a bit of time in barrel before racking and bottling unfiltered, the nose is loaded with orchard fruits and white flowers, and a spice I always place as Asian tea but is uniquely tell-tale for the variety wherever it is made. The texture is round and juicy without any oak or buttery character to get in the way of the rich minerally fruit character that runs through the palate. Exotic without being heavy or unctuous, this is a fantastic match with richer seafood (crab cakes), things you would usually lean towards a white Burgundy/Chardonnay choice but want to push the culinary envelope.  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.
Speaking of the 'impossible normal', we are all watching the horrible damage and destruction happening in Oregon with great trepidation. While the fires by and large aren't threatening to physically burn the vineyards themselves, the potential for 'smoke taint' to develop in the grapes from the poor air quality is definitely a fear. It can be such a location by location thing that there is no way to universally say what will happen, and there are many ways the wineries can escape or mitigate these problems, so we can't really determine anything about the wines until they are completed and in the bottle. But we are all rooting for them to be able to have quality wines to bring to us from the 2020 vintage, so that small wineries like this one will be able to survive this most difficult of years. For now we can support them with what is already in the bottle, coming from the 2018 vintage which was overall one of the warmest overall in Oregon but without the damaging extreme heat spikes. This, like the Roots Wine Co. 'Klee' in the Select Six, is an assemblage of fruit from multiple smaller sources the winery works with, a more value oriented version of their style and winemaking skill. Juicier on the nose at first from the warmer conditions, with a bit of cola and spice behind the fresh red cherry aromas, but still finding that racier acidity on the palate that brings out some of the tart fruit skin notes and savory flavors that is so Oregon. Folks that usually find Oregon Pinot a bit lean will not have that issue with this (and a lot of 2018s in general) but it is not atypical, and still speaks so much of what Oregon wines are all about.  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.
As much as we like to fantasize and fetishize about history in the wine world, an important component in wine and winemaking is adaptation, improving on the past by introducing something new. Fads will come and go, but those things that make the system better also makes it healthier. For centuries the Douro has been known the world over as the greatest source of fortified wine, shipped to every corner of the globe and consumed by by both royalty and common folk alike. Towards the end of the 1900s that demand started to wane, and the smarter more forward thinking wine professionals started to look at ways to diversify their production. It has been easier to convert the red grapes used for Port into more conventional 'table wines', but white wines have taken more time in converting old vineyards or creating new ones in suitable areas. Luis Seabra, onetime winemaker at Port house Nieeport, has been a part of this movement for many years, and this wine features vineyards planted at the earlier end of this renaissance, resulting in a white few would expect from this region. Though it's built from native Portuguese grapes Rabigato, Codega, Gouveio (Godello in Spain) and Viosinho, the inspiration and execution is definitely Burgundian. Vibrant lemon curd and deep white fruit aromas pop when open and grow more complex as it opens up, a bit wilder and more exotic than Chardonnay (in a good way). The palate is rich like a Burgundy; the barrels are largely multi-use, so there isn't a toast character to get in the way of the natural flavors, purely to add the wanted unctuous coating mouthfeel. Some may want a stronger buttery note or less of a minerality on the finish if they want to really compare this to their more familiar Bourgogne, but those that enjoy the new trail every now and again will find plenty to enjoy. Put this in with any cuisine you'd want a Chardonnay for, and even better with spicier items where you would want to avoid stronger oak flavors.  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.
It's hard to stop calling Vincent Paris a 'newcomer' in the Northern Rhone, as his label has over 20 vintages to its credit now. At his start he was part of a new generation of young vintners that has over time grown the reputation of the Cornas region from relative afterthought (in relation to the reputation of Cote-Rotie, Hermitage, and St. Joseph) into a name of great importance. With at least 60% of his production pulled from Cornas (and co-president of the appellation's board of vintners) they are still his primary focus, but we can tell a lot about his style from his more 'everyday' wines like this. Made from his youngest vines in his Crozes-Hermitage holdings and tank aged to promote a more approachable style, this really shows off the sneakily great quality of the 2019 vintage, which had some difficulties early on but finished excellent for quality growers.Dark-ish but not dense looking in the glass, it shows a lot of black cherry and cassis fruit on the nose, but picks up more and more smoked meats and olive/peppery tones as it opens up, classic Northern Rhone elements for those that are unfamiliar with cooler climate Syrah. On the palate the texture if full enough and tannins present enough to have it not be mistaken for a Pinot Noir, but for a youthful Syrah it's quite polished and approachable, with the fine tannins bringing a pit fruit and bitter almond tone to the savory finish. Unlike its bigger brothers, this doesn't need cellar time, just a bit of extra air to really get rolling, although it should last a handful of years if they linger in the cellar. Great for a rich savory soup, pot roasts, or lightly gamey 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.
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.  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.  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.
With as hot as it has been around here the last few weeks, we ALL deserve a wine that does well with a nice chill on it, perhaps relaxing with some snacks because nobody wants to stand in front of the grill and sweat all over the food. This should be at the top of that list for most people. A lengthy name, but the thing to remember is that Verdicchio is one of the champion grapes in the Marche region of Italy, and Castelli dei Jesi is known as the premiere areas. For many years Tavignano has been on the very short list of consistently excellent producers that have helped build their reputation among American consumers, cluing us in on just how versatile and affordable their wines are. Unless the entire Eastern edge of Italy just falls into the Adriatic, these wines are super clean, fresh, and reliable. Aged in steel on their lees for 3-4 months before bottling, the Villa Torre has a wonderful pulpy aroma of citrus skin and white fruits, with a bit of grapefruity zest and cooling savory green herbal tones. On the palate the flavors are equally snappy and mouth-filling, with a cooling mintier side with a heavier chill that gets juicier and more tropical as it gets warmer (so, within 2-3 minutes if you're outside). This is a classic antipasto wine, working with salty and savory as well as citrus and fruit, or even a cheese tray if you like, but also can follow through to fish or poultry dishes. |
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
August 2020
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