 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.
A thousand pardons for not getting the second Insider's Pick out last Friday as promised. To make up for it we have a 'double feature', two wines from the same producer that can both be had for the Insider's Pick discount. Get one or the other, or maybe both if you like to compare and contrast similar wines. This winery is a long time favorite of ours, and find both of these Barberas to be top quality representatives of the regions they are from. Even though they are adjacent to each other in the Piedmont, Alba and Asti have vastly different reputations, and the wines translate those differences. Asti tends to be brighter and fresher in character, usually made in a broader everyday style as it is the most heavily planted red in it's region. Alba contains the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, so Barbera often competes with plantings of Nebbiolo. In alba the soils tend to make a lighter wine, but there is a higher potential at the top end for very high achieving wines, especially when they are planted alongside Nebbiolo in some of the best vineyards like this one. Both of these are very 'serious' versions with minimal filtration and a touch of oak aging, though the Alba definitely carries a darker fruit character and has the structure to age and evolve a bit longer. Either one on their own is a show-stopper, but if you have the opportunity to pour two bottles in an evening, why not have a Barbera showdown?
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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. 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.
As we so often say, it is increasingly difficult to find everyday values from Burgundy due to the relatively small amount of vineyards and the increased international demand for 'named' wines from the region. Many producers have been forced to look for outside the box ideas to create wines that can be less expensive but still speak of Burgundian character. Fortunately, some wineries like this really don't have to go that far outside the box to do so. Fichet has to label this wine 'Vin De France' because of the way the boundary lines are drawn in the Macon, despite it being from one single site just outside the small hamlet of Ige. The vineyards also sit in a bit of a hollow, making it a bit susceptible to frost in tricky years. In past years this fruit would have been sold off in bulk to a cooperative because there was still plenty of inexpensive AOC Macon to be sold. Now, it's got value as a killer wine for the price point, regardless of the name on the label. You want Macon character? You got it here; bright clean melon and white citrus aromatics, a bit of fresh apple as well, and a fleshy natural mouthfeel with no oak presence and just a touch of malolactic to round out the finish. A superb glass of wine for everyday seafood and light vegetable 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. 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.
A new vintage for a store favorite. The Savoie region is off the traditional tourist line for French travelers, unless you are looking for spectacular mountain scenery, in which case it's one of the great alpine wine regions of the world. The wines are also becoming more popular with drinkers looking for lower alcohol options. Apremont and Abymes are the two most important sites here, somewhat morbidly named in honor of a terrible landslide off of Mont Granier that buried several villages and thousands of villagers nearly 800 years ago. Apremont (the 'bitter mountain') sits at the higher elevation along the mountain, and this bottling takes advantage of some of the higher parcels to catch precious extra hours of sunlight each season, milking out every last drop of ripeness and intensity that can be found in the delicate Jacquere grape. This 'intensity', of course, is all relative. If you ever heard the word 'crystalline' to describe a wine and wondered what they meant by it, this is the perfect example of that term. Clear light gold in color, the aromas are mostly fresh white fruits with hints of zest and musky melon rind, but all at a very low volume of intensity. The palate is crystalline, and there just isn't any way of getting around that word, with the freshness like mountain stream water punctuated with citrusy acidity that leaves your mouth watering for minutes afterwards. At around 11%abv, your first instinct is to think the wine is hiding some residual sugar somewhere. For this grape in this environment it just ripens without much sugar, so this is completely dry and the weight is purely from quality natural ripeness. Often thought of as just a warm weather refresher, This is about as refreshing a wine as you can find out there at any time of the year, excellent with a chill to it and ideal with salads and cooled seafood 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. 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.
Even a region with a storied tradition like Rioja can stand for a little jostling of its sensibilities every now and again.Tempranillo has always been the signature grape in the region, the backbone for the structured and long lived wines that have made them famous in much the same way Cabernet Sauvignon has served the Medoc area wines in Bordeaux. Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano are also allowed red grapes in the blend for Rioja, but usually only a small portion. For this bottling Palacios Remondo decided to flip the script and give their Garnacha center stage, a very unique take that is noticeably different than the norm but undeniably delicious. Immediately warmer and red-fruited on the nose, but not as jammy and sweet on the aromas as Garnacha from the Mediterranean coast, maintaining more than a hint of pepper and black spice. The palate is also more lush, definitely lower in acidity and tannins than expected in a Rioja, but not heavy or overly extracted, delivering vibrant red berry flavors, touches of anise and herbs, and a fresh polished finish. This may not be what a traditionalist is looking for, but it's a great expression of the region. What's next, a Merlot from the Margaux region in Bordeaux? (Hint: that IS a thing, and we have one....)  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.
We don't often get to use the word 'Unicorn' to describe a wine (meaning that it's so rare it's like spotting a unicorn) being featured in the Insider's Pick, but this would definitely be in the discussion to qualify. The nice thing is, it isn't priced anywhere close to what those unicorns usually would be. The Borgogno family is one of the most important in Barolo, family owned and run for over 120 years and instrumental in elevating the Cannubi vineyard to one of the top Crus in the region. Nascetta is a native grape to the Piedmont, but rarely named in blends much less featured (our only example in the store has been as part of the Luigi Baudana 'Dragon' Langhe Bianco), and always in very small amounts. Hopefully this historic grape is getting a boost in planting, because the quality of wine it makes is quite exemplary, especially in the hands of such great winemakers. Round rich aromatics of dried white fruits and cooling mint touched with savory herbs, and a powerful texture on the palate without the need for oak aging or malolactic butteriness. Unctuous dried fruits with lots of minerality and skin tannins give the flavor and finish lots of intensity, capable of standing up to lots of robust pork and poultry dishes. Needless to say, this won't be around for very long....  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.
We always recommend looking outside the more famous names in the wine world to find great values and new ideas. In some cases it's because there are fewer restrictions in vineyards 'off the beaten path', and winemakers a re more free to do what they want. Often, though, it's purely economical, and they can actually afford to work the vineyards in these regions without as much of a reputation. When the young couple Anne-Claude and Bertrand looked to start their own family winery, they looked to make wines in the style of their favorite style, the Rhone. Financially, though, it made much more sense for them to establish their organic farmed vineyards in Ventoux, adjacent to both the Rhone and Provence but with a lesser reputation than both so MUCH more affordable. Since we were first able to have access to their wine a few vintages back, this has routinely been a sneaky star for fans of the region that don't need to have the name 'Cotes du Rhone' appear on the label. Primarily Syrah with a healthy chunk of Grenache (sometimes Mourvedre as well, but not in this vintage), this play with both power and subtlety, with lots of black fruit and wild garrigue spice on the nose, with a touch of powdered cocoa dustiness. The unfiltered nature of the wine comes through on the texture, giving a slight texture to the tannins and a bit of that cocoa-ish dustiness to the fruit, but also shows nice savoriness on the finish as well. This has a lot of full bodied flavor and warmth for the price without being plodding or overwhelming, great for hearty cold weather 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. 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.
Most people will recognize the King Estate name as one of the more prevalent producers of Pinot Gris out of Oregon. Over the last 30 years they have been a major factor in bringing the grape variety more attention in America, helping it to become a signature grape of the region. While their regular bottling is fairly prevalent, their Domaine bottling is their flagship for the variety, made from their oldest vines off the original estate which has been certified organic since 2002 and is the largest Demeter certified Biodynamic property in the country. Do not confuse the two; this is built for serious business, even worthy of cellaring like the better Pinot Gris from Alsace. Fresh pear and white fruits mix on the nose with underlying zest and mineral tones, floral and pretty but also very vibrant. The palate is unctuous and rich but not cloying thanks to all the acidity and natural texture from the skins, just filling every corner of your palate with flavor. Folks that want a rounder texture in their white wine but don't want the buttery aspects so often found in Chardonnay should be all over this, serving it with crab cakes and rich creamy poultry or pork dishes. While it's likely that everyone's Thanksgiving plans will be looking very different this year, it isn't too early to start thinking about the wines you may serve then as well. This will really compliment the diversity of a holiday table as well.  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.
Many people view Rose wines as only good for a 'season', and like white pants after Labor Day just won't have them once that theoretical end date has passed. To help remind everyone that these wines are great to have all year round if you enjoy them, and are actually quite valuable to have around Thanksgiving and the holidays, we are going to have a double feature of Roses for this week's picks. To stay with the white/red theme we've been doing, this one is the darker colored of the two. For fans of the 'newly discovered' wines from Mount Etna in Sicily, Massimiliano Calabretta is a modern throwback, tantamount to new old stock if you are into vintage vehicles or bicycles. Access to old vineyards in the heart of the lava fields, organic since the start, and with a traditional mindset about production. Nothing has changed about what he does, even in the face of recent recognition and acceptance of more modern styles. This Rose is from his most used varietal, Nerello Mascalese, which often has a Nebbiolo-like aspect of fruit and higher acidity, and carries through into this wine beautifully. A deeper ruddy color from soaking on the skins a bit longer, with a nose full of savory red fruits and a little touch of the dusty funk from using naive yeasts. Not a full-on 'natural' wine profile, but a nod in that direction in aromas. On the palate the natural acidity and volcanic minerality really pops the drier raspberry and smoky cherry fruits, also bringing in some notes of citrus on the finish, almost orange-y. Plenty of substance for a Rose, making a nice match for antipasto or lightly marinated red meat 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. 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.
Many people view Rose wines as only good for a 'season', and like white pants after Labor Day just won't have them once that theoretical end date has passed. To help remind everyone that these wines are great to have all year round if you enjoy them, and are actually quite valuable to have around Thanksgiving and the holidays, we are going to have a double feature of Roses for this week's picks. To stay with the white/red theme we've been doing, this one is the lighter colored of the two. We are always enamored with Sancerre Roses when we get a chance to have them, but there just aren't that many producers so they aren't always present in the consumer's attention. This bottling comes from the 'Les Chailloux' vineyard, which is noted for having a uniquely large portion of white flint (known as 'Silex') in the soil that is usually found across the river in Pouilly-Fume, which really brings some extra vibrancy to the Pinot Noir planted here. Fresh dried strawberry and red fruit skins are all over the aroma, with a dusty cool minerality that prickles the nose, and that brilliant piercing minerality continues onto the palate. This has plenty of tingly texture that leaves no doubt about there being any sweetness hiding here, with lots of zip and zest to the finish. A lively wine to have on hand for a broad spectrum of dishes, from lighter sushi to the diverse table of Thanksgiving, and also does well with holding for a few years to pop up the complexity if you choose. INSIDER'S PICK: 2017 XAVIER VIGNON BEAUMES DE VENISE ROUGE (Wine Advocate 90-92points) $21.9910/9/2020  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.
After a brief time unavailable in our area, Xavier Vignon wines are back in, and with a flourish of new releases. A store favorite for delivering hearty, robust Rhone wines, you are well worth trying any of the several bottlings we have in, but we wanted to focus on this one for the Insider's Pick because the appellation may cause some confusion. Even though the area of Beaumes de Venise is directly beside Vacqueyras and Gigondas, well known red wine producers, it is most known by far for making 'Vin Doux Naturels', sweet fortified wines made from the white Muscat grape. Red grapes are not uncommon to be planted there, but usually get blended into other Cotes du Rhones or Village designated wines versus being featured on their own. More wines like this will definitely change that trend. Xavier takes a unique approach with this bottling, co-fermenting all the varietals used (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault) together instead of vinifying them separately and blending together after fermentation. It's a bit more risky, and can be difficult to get all the grapes to ripen properly at the same time, but the complexity is definitely heightened. Loads of black fruits and dark spice on the nose, and impressively full on the palate; still very youthful, but was allowed some extra time in the tank before bottling so it shows some polish on the finish. This darker character is pervasive through the Xavier Vignon wines, as he tends to feature Mourvedre frequently. Put this up against any similarly priced Rhone and you will be duly impressed. |
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
December 2020
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