INSIDER'S PICK: 2017 MARIETTA CELLARS 'CHRISTO' NORTH COAST (Vinous 90-93pts) $21.99

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 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.
Marietta Cellars and the Bilbro family are true royalty in the Sonoma/North Coast wine world, into their third generation of viticulture and genuine stewards of the land for all the historic vineyards they tend. Their most famous and widely available wine is their non-vintage 'Lot' series Old Vine Red, a value oriented throwback to the historic Californian field blends made by hundreds of immigrant families from the later 1800s well into the 1900s from the vineyards they cultivated and harvested, for sustenance well before they became fashionable or profitable. The next tier up from the OVR is their 'Family' series, three wines named after important figured in the Bilbro family, built from a more stringent selection of varieties and vineyards and with a specific historic blend in mind. One focuses on Zinfandel based blends, one on Cabernet Sauvignon based Meritage blends, and this one (named after Chris, founder of Marietta Cellars) based off of Rhone blends. The one slight Californi-fication that takes place is the substitution of Petite Sirah for Mourvedre, but otherwise they have the aura of a Southern Rhone down to a T, right down to even co-fermenting a slight bit of Viognier for a little extra pop of aromatics. Deep black fruits and dark spice on the nose, but also a coolness and a touch of smokiness as a lot of the Syrah comes from some of the cooler areas of North Coast, which really helps keep the fruit fresh and alive. On the palate the fruit is intense and immediate, filling your mouth with loads of blackberry and raspberry tones, but still has lots of savory to show and acidity keep the finish from feeling cloying or plodding. A great cooler weather wine to help warm your insides, both with the quality of wine as well as the history of the family behind it. 

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