 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.
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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.
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.  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.
Petit Manseng is most noted as the most noted variety from Southwest France -particularly Jurancon- for making their famous late harvest wines as well as dry wines. In recent years it has grown in interest for use in many areas of North America, particularly Virginia as we continue to seek out grapes that can thrive in our environment. Fragrant in similar ways to Viognier, Petit Manseng keeps its natural acidity better and has a thicker, stronger skin, which are traits that make it very favorable for making both dessert wines as well as skin contact style dry wines. That's important in Virginia, where it can be very difficult to predict what our season will be month to month (even week to week, it seems sometimes) and it is paramount for winemakers to have flexibility. Joy Ting is the Research Enologist/Extension Coordinator with the Winemakers Research Exchange, which is a collective of winemakers and industry professionals experimenting with all aspects of wine production to create better wine results in Virginia. Under her own label Joy puts the results to the test, with great wines as an end product; 2020 was a trying vintage for many in Virginia, so the quality here is particularly impressive. Definitively dry in style this vintage, the aromas are all stone fruits and tropical white fruits, cooler and less flowery than a Viognier but no less pretty. The palate has great weight and texture for a dry white wine, vibrant natural acidity tempered a bit by aging on the lees for almost a year that brings out loads of pear and mineral notes across they juicy finish. A great pairing with rich buttery/creamy seafood or white meat dishes as it both stands up to and cuts through and stands up to the weighty sauce, as well as complex Asian cuisine.  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.
If you have enjoyed a Sicilian wine over the last 25+ years, you probably owe a debt of gratitude to the COS winery from the region of Vittoria. First formed by three friends in 1980 (the name formed by the first letters of each of their last name), their winery was among the very first at the time to reintroduce a focus on quality and regional terroir to an island that had largely become known for bulk wines. Their theories on organic farming, indigenous varieties in old vineyards, and improving traditional winemaking techniques with modern know-how have influenced all of Sicily (the Mount Etna are in particular) as well as many other wineries across the Mediterranean. Their influence on the next generation of winemakers is immediately evident as well; the niece of Giusto Occhipinti (the 'O' in COS), Arianna, has had her own label since the 2006 vintage, and is largely considered one of the best modern voices in Italian winemaking. Frappato is an important native grape in much of Sicily and parts of Calabria, and is the perfect wine to introduce people to the uniqueness this region holds. Frappato is soft and spicy with a fruit character that is similar to Primitivo or Zinfandel, but also light and fresh, restrained in alcohol and tannin, which also can garner comparisons to fine Cru Beaujolais. COS ages this wine in their large collection of concrete vats to let the natural brightness of the grape show through as well as their use of native yeasts to create a wine that truly delivers a taste of the region. Snappy fresh cherry and floral raspberry skin aromas, a lovely mouth-filling texture from time aging on the skins and being bottled unfiltered, but not thick at all or overpowering on the finish. Great to pair with a gourmet pizza or a spicier chicken dish, and just about anything that has sun dried tomatoes in it.  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.
This has definitely been the 'Summer of Rose' around here, as evidenced by the near-solid wall of pink wines at the front of the store. A bit weather related for sure, but there's also an immense amount of great quality being offered these days, and from more unique sources than ever before. These aren't just rehashes of the same recipe, but distinct interpretations with regional character, like this one from e headwaters of the Mosel/Moselle River in the Lorraine region. Most producers in this tiny (<300 acres total) appellation tend to make more 'basic' wines, tasty but simple and unassuming, meant primarily for local consumption. Some are starting to explore taking a more intensive role in their winemaking, being more vigorous in the vineyards and modernizing in the winery, to make a more 'worldly' wine that can stand up to the scrutiny. Domaine Migot is definitely at the front of that movement, which first started bottling estate wines in 2013 by a young Camille Migot, but using vineyards his family had farmed for 13 generations. This style of Vin Gris/Rose is the signature wine of the region, made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, and Migot elevates the style to its very best form. Super pale color in the glass belies the bright intensity on the aromas, lots of zesty and tangy citrus and fresh herbs lightly sprinkled in. The palate is silky and fairly full with loads of energy from the cool climate and strong limestone soils really drive the tartness into the fruit tones. At less than 12%abv you would think it would be a lot milder, which a lot of wines from this region are, but the work at all phases really makes this wine shine. Fans of Sancerre Rose should definitely take a look at this as it hits many similar notes.  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.
Probably too hot today to think about anything else but a wine that can be served with some serious chill to it. And chill we will, with a lovely Rose from one of our favorite regions in the Loire. Cabernet Franc is king here, and the red wines are phenomenal, but the Roses are underappreciated and sneaky brilliant. The grape is naturally fragrant and polished in texture without a lot of aggressive tannins, and the cooler climate tends to provide a nice spine of acidity that keeps it from feeling too soft and flabby. Olga Raffault is a long standing organic producer from the portfolio of legendary importer Louis/Dressner, and their Rose comes from a mix of several younger/replanted parcels in vineyards used for their single site red wines. Very salmon-y color in the glass, the aromas are full of cherry skin and succulent herbs as well as an almost citrusy or melon peel tone. The palate is rounder and juicier than a similar Provencal Rose but just from a mouthfeel and texture point of view, polished and silky but still very dry and quenching with just a tickle of acidity and crispness to the finish. The palate is crisper straight out of the fridge, but the aromas pop more the longer it's open, so you can find your happy balance as you sip on it over some snacks or light dinner fare.  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.
This is always one of our favorite domestic Rose wines vintage after vintage, not because it's always trying to be 'the best' or 'most popular', but because it's always bringing something new to the table. Winemaker Andrew Jones is a long time viticulturalist traveling up and down the Central Coast, planting and maintaining vineyards for over twenty years. With such diverse terrain and climate to cover, there are vast numbers of grape varieties to work with that make sense, and many land owners willing to produce something that's unique. Many of the Field Recordings wines will change sources and evolve over time, but the Rose seems to change course almost yearly depending on which fruit suits him the best; a couple of the previous vintages featured Valdiguie, but this year is not on the list at all. The base concept this year is very Provencal, with Cinsault the dominant grape, and the unique player this time is a Spanish grape called Albillo Mayor. In Ribera del Duero and some other Tempranillo based wines this white grape is used in small amounts to help soften the tannins; here the grape brings a little extra acidity the same way Vermentino or Ugni Blanc do in Provence. Bright, quenching watermelon, cherry skin and citrus skin aromas with a little underlying note of dried herbs, very much Provence inspired but with a bit more red fruit. Round feeling in the mouth with a sort of red grapefruit-esque quenching juiciness and a little bit of acidity in the background to keep it from feeling too soft through the finish. A very Euro-centric style of Rose for a domestic producer, great for parties and light Summer dishes.  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.
It's the wine so nice, they named it twice! The New York, New York of Italian wine. And like most things on wine labels, the extra details do matter. Gavi is the name of the town and wine region in the southern end of the Piedmont, the most white grape centric in the region, and features the Cortese grape. Cortese is planted fairly liberally across much of Northern Italy, but Gavi is by far the most noteworthy. The commune around the city of Gavi itself has always carried a distinct reputation above their neighbors for outstanding quality, so much so that Gavi di Gavi was elevated from a DOC to DOCG status. While there can be very good producers from other parts of Gavi, the consistency and quality of wines from Gavi di Gavi are hard to beat. Lots of zesty white fruits, melon rind and cool honeysuckle fruit on the nose that gets warmer and a bit tropical as it opens up. The mouthfeel has a bit of weight to it but still feels crisp with acidity, really bringing out the zesty fruits on the palate finishing with a green-edged dry tone. This holds up very well to both lighter and relatively bold fish as well as lightly herbed pork or poultry, or can do well on its own for the more adventurous 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
August 2022
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