INSIDER'S PICK: 2019 DESCENDIENTES DE J. PALACIOS PETALOS DE BIERZO (Wine Advocate 93+points) $26.993/10/2022  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.
Anyone that has enjoyed a glass of wine from the Mencia grape in Spain over the last few decades owes at least a nod if not a full debt of gratitude to the Descendientes de J. Palacios winery. Founder Alvaro Palacios was first recognized in the early 1990s as part of the group that reintroduced high quality wines from Priorat, as well as the first proponent of Biodynamic viticulture in Spain. By the end of the 90s Alvaro looked to become a pioneer in another part of the country by teaming with his nephew Ricardo Perez to elevate the wines of the Bierzo region. At the most Northwestern corner of Old Castile on the border of Galicia, Bierzo was largely forgotten in the wine world, as well as the native Mencia grape both here and in the eastern Galician regions. The Descendientes project revitalized the best old vineyards in Bierzo, enough so that they were quickly able to introduce this value oriented multi-vineyard 'Petalos' bottling, sourced from as many as 180 individual growers. Polished and fairly modern in character, but still capable of showing the freshness and deep perfume character that long drew comparisons of Mencia to Cabernet Franc. Peppery plum and darker fruits, velvety and plush on the palate with very little oak showing through even in its youth (stronger oak being a common trait in the earlier versions), allowing some of the minerality through that's borne from the schist heavy soils in the best older plots. A very trend-setting wine that should expose many to a wine they never knew they wanted until they tried it!
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INSIDER'S PICK: 2020 VINOS LIBRES 'EL JEFE (GRANDE)' TEMPRANILLO TIERRA DE CASTILLA Y LEON $15.99/1L3/3/2022  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 little something easier this week for everyone to enjoy. Or should we say 'a Grande something'. This has to be one of the most glug-able and social wines we have in the store for so many reasons. At this price point in Spain you would usually be looking at a fairly mass marketed assemblage of sources, but for this it's all sourced from a single set of family run vineyards, all managed using sustainable farming practices. The juice is aged in concrete tanks that helps show off the deep fruit, and allows the wine to show well without much filtration to provide a richer than usual texture. All of this falls in a wine that is NOT the usual big and boozy style that many warm climate reds wind up in, instead actually keeping some wonderful freshness. And oh yeah, a nice liter bottle to help you splash it around to a few more people at the table. Round juicy black fruits and warm spice throughout, definitely a more modern style Tempranillo than old school, but so satisfying and full of value.  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.
Anyone that has enjoyed the vastly improved quality of wines produced in the Muscadet region owe a debt of gratitude to Marc Ollivier and the wines of Pepiere. In the 80s when virtually all the wine in the region was made by co-operatives buying and blending fruit from all over, Domaine de la Pepiere was one of the very few making their own wines, and perhaps the first to be trying to elevate their wines into something a little more special. Identifying more unique soils and older vines to make more singular wines, extending the time on the lees during the time in tank before bottling to intensify the flavors, all things that take more effort than the general population thought the wines were worth. Now, most every Muscadet that's worth the time to export has some of those techniques involved in the making, and all for the better. Their Briords bottling (once labeled Clos du Briords) is one of their originals, from a single site of vines now approaching 50-70 years old; it isn't located within one of the 'Cru' areas of Muscadet, but is a site as distinct and important as any vineyard in the region. A clear green/gold in the glass, the aromas are all coastline and citrus, wet seashells and limes, oyster water and melon rind. It's one of the most 'of the sea' wines out there and why good ones like this draw comparison to Chablis. The lees aging gives the palate a lot of its weight and texture, making the acidity and salinity feel juicy and mouth-watering instead of hard edged. Muscadet in general is one of the great shellfish wines out there, this one just takes it to the next level.  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 revisit the Kellerei Kaltern co-operative winery fairly frequently for all of our various features here. Just can't help ourselves, too much quality and easily the best bang for the buck we can find from the Alto Adige. They also provide great introductions to some of the lesser known regional varieties, helping people learn that it's not just Pinot Grigio country up there. Schiava is a relatively unknown variety that has a lot of parallels to Gamay in Beaujolais, in that it produces a fairly soft and pale wine which doesn't make for earth-shattering high end wines, but is perfect for easy drinking everyday purposes. Transparent ruby and cherry colors in the glass with lots of dark cherry and violet flowers on the nose, as well as a (Gamay-esque) tone of wild game and smoke. On the palate the cool tones and higher acidity/lower abv takes the fruit into more tart cranberry and berry skins, while the powder fine tannins give the flavors and finish a very easy and enjoyable feel. Very quenching with light meals and charcuterie, something that doesn't need a lot of pomp and circumstance around 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.
We might be trying to will in some Spring weather with this wine, hoping Puxsutawney Phil's hit rate of only 40% the last decade continues for this year. Ventoux is the less famous next door neighbor to the heart of the Southern Rhone, with all the known addresses like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Rasteau, et al. While the region has equal longevity in its production to the other parts of the Rhone, dating back to the Roman era, there has never been higher achieving producers that brought the world's attention to the name and driven the success -and prices- forward. Pesquie as a farm and vineyard dates back to the1750s and became an independent wine producer in the late 1980s, achieving great success knowing its ALWAYS cool to be the best deal in town. Their 'Terrasses' series always hits well above the price point, and the white is a particular unicorn as the region trends towards having fewer white varieties planted. Predominantly Viognier with healthy portions of Roussanne, Clairette, and Grenache Blanc, the flowery aromas of the Viognier rule over the nose, with the other varieties turning down the volume a little bit and adding some tropical citrus notes. Those varieties come through more on the palate, adding some acidity and zest, bringing out more citrus tones and providing a mouthwatering freshness to the finish. A great Spring-ish salad or light seafood wine, good to have as a staple around the house.  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.
Not the usual type of wine to do for a February Insider's, and a touch higher in price than we usually feature. But this is a fascinating wine from an equally fascinating source, and it deserves our full attention. Most of the excitement for older heritage vineyards in California centers around Zinfandel plantings (deservedly so because of their age and because there are so many of them), but there are corners and pockets all over the state that feature all sorts of other long lived and well loved vines, and there are more and more producers like this that embrace them. There is no 'Ruth' here, more of a nom de plume for owner/winemaker Evan Lewandowski and his deep seated agricultural beliefs ('Death is, indeed, the engine of life'). The wines here are very 'hands off' in style, and they pull from some of the most unique sites in the state. Cole Ranch is the smallest declared AVA in America, a single property in a pocket valley high up in Mendocino County first planted in the early 1970s. Cool climates gives the grapes extended time to ripen, and distinct soils impart a little extra nuance, resulting in one of the more exotic dry Rieslings you will come across from North American soils.The nose starts out with lots of cool white fruits but gets more intensely floral as it opens up; fairly new to the bottle, so this is a white that does very well with some decanting if possible to really unlock the nuance. After a while it gets into the stone fruits and even a bit of the orange citrus world, a lot more diverse than your usual Rieslings would. The palate has a lot of flesh and weight to it despite being quite dry, with a little bit of mineral zip to the finish to help lighten the load. Think Alsatian style dry Riesling with a little bit more pizzazz.  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 wine pretty much always makes an appearance in the Insider's Pick each time there is a new vintage. And that's OK because the blend is always changing each year, plus it's a very important wine for customers to know and understand. Above all, it's always really, REALLY good for the money. Stolpman Vineyards is one of the very few wineries in California that has their vineyard workers employed all year round instead of seasonal. The idea is to not just enable the workers to have a steady income but to have a career, to even progress and have their families grow and improve the industry. Part of this plan has evolved into having their own wine made from a small vineyard block-or Cuadra- from he Stolpman estate that changes each vintage. All the profits from this wine goes back to the crew and their families based on seniority. The label artwork changes each vintage as well, always done in black and white, always inspired in some way by the people of the Cuadrilla. This vintage is Syrah dominant, as they usually are, with equal parts of Grenache and Sangiovese making up the remainder, so a Rhone-ish blend with a little bit of Italian flava for added personality; the percentages are consistent from the last few vintages, but the source of Syrah has changed. Inky, opulent dark fruit with lots of jammy blackberry and spice, with a touch of anise and dried cherry skin courtesy of the Sangiovese, as well as a bit of acidity to the palate to lighten the finish. Big but not oozy, this is just starting it's journey as these wines have shown good life in the cellar vintage after vintage.  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 told you in the writeups for the Select Six to expect more from us on the Mary Taylor line of wines, and we were not kidding. The mission statement for this producer has so much in common with what we have set out to be as a wine retailer these last 27 years, we almost can't help but love everything we've tried so far. The idea is to help 'decipher the complex notion of terroir' by work with small artisan growers and wineries to help craft affordable wines that still have a distinct sense of place. Not everyone may know or possibly even had heard of the Loire region of Valencay, which sit on the southern and middle portion along the banks of the Cher river. Honestly, it is probably one of the only appellations in France where the reputation of the cheese outclasses that of the wine; to be fair, the semi-pyramid shaped goat cheese here is pretty darn excellent. There aren't any producers here that make anything high end to capture any international attention, so we don't really get a chance to 'know' Valencay wines, and they remain a hidden regional value. Gamay and Pinot Noir are prevalent here, as well as Malbec which goes by the name Cot here. In combination here they work magnificently, bringing together the polish and soft texture of the first two grapes with a little extra substance from the Cot. Silky cherry and red fruits on the nose with a touch of black spice emerging as it opens up, very plush and fine at first on the palate but builds some much needed fine tannins to pull some flesh to the finish. You could definitely serve this to a Burgundy fan blind and make them quite happy. A 'backdoor Burgundy', perhaps? Don't miss giving this a try, especially at this price INSIDER'S PICK: 2019 HERMANN J WIEMER DRY RIESLING SENECA LAKE (Wine Advocate 91points) $23.991/13/2022  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 Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard is one of the most important wineries on the East Coast, considering that since the mid-1970s their nursery has been actively bringing in and propagating European vinifera that has benefited the entire winemaking community. The wines themselves are equally important, one of the long time standards of quality in the Finger Lakes region for both red and white varieties. Riesling is of course one of if not 'the' most prevalent grape in the region, and while most people think of it as a sweet wine (and there are plenty of delicious sweet versions to be had, we do NOT knock them at all), many of the best and most delightful versions are in the dry spectrum.This one weighs in at 7 grams of sugar per liter; some may say 'ACK!! That's going to be sweet!'. It is actually well within what the German regulations would be for their trocken wines, and as much as half the amount you would find in the majority of Californian Chardonnay. Add in to that the cool climate acidity born from the Finger Lakes region, and you have a wine that absolutely breathes dryness. Blended from fruit sourced out of their four best estate vineyards (HJW, Magdalena, Josef & Kasper), this starts off a bit stern and steely, but builds fresh white fruits on the nose with some time open, and continue on to the palate. The dryness on the palate is not austere or lean, just helps the fruit dance with the acidity into a clean mineral soaked finish. A tasty match with pork dishes, classic German sauerkraut, and the like.  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.
Hope everyone out there is safe and warm after Monday's big snow, especially with another round coming on its heels soon. Now is a good time to make your 'comfort foods' for your family and friends, hearty warming dishes that usually aren't complicated or use exotic ingredients, just happy fuel for the body and soul (and often the leftovers keep going for days afterwards). One of the better grape varieties for these types of dishes is Dolcetto, best known from the Piedmont in Italy as the general workhorse grape while Nebbiolo and Barbera get most of the high praise. Dogliani, which sits just South of Barolo, is in fact the only area that elevates Dolcetto above the others, having made it the featured grape in their DOCG status. This is a single site bottling from a newly available producer to us, and is just about the pinnacle of what we have tasted for Dolcetto. Deep in color with initial aromas of dark plums and savory black skinned fruit, with some dusty spice and worn leathery tones showing as it opens. Fairly sturdy on the palate (a sign it should evolve decently over time) but not rough or chewy in texture as some of the more basic Dolcettos can get, allowing the fruit to have flesh and intensity on the palate and a deep dry finish. This is just begging to go with a rich meaty stew, mushroom-y stroganoff, or- my favorite- a home made lasagna. |
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
May 2022
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