SELECT SIX FOR MARCH 2018

2016 ELENA WALCH MULLER THURGAU IGT VIGNETI DOLOMITI
As featured in a recent 'Wine Spectator' article, Elena Walch is one of the top family run wine estates in the Alto Adige region of Italy. Being so close to the mountains and the Austrian border, Alto Adige seems like one of the least stereotypical 'Italian' regions. Not only are the names of people and places heavily influenced by Germanic culture, the wine styles are as well. Cool climate whites like Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc thrive here along side Pinot Grigio, and Muller Thurgau may be at its best and most distinctive here. The grape is usually very neutral and utilitarian, a workhorse grape built for volume, but the steep banked high altitude sites pull out more subtle pleasures. Bright, clean and vibrant on the nose with pale peach and orange fruit aromas, as well as a line of spice notes that build up as it opens. The palate is quite dry, brimming with stone fruits and a rounder texture than expected that gives each sip a 'fresh bite of fruit' type sensation. A terrific and distinctive white wine for light first course dishes as well as an everyday sipper for those that love a lighter, brighter style of white.
Regular Price $16.99, $14.44/case

2010 CHATEAU DU PINTEY BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR
Bordeaux is a wine region that requires patience to get the full effect of what the region has to offer. Even at the less expensive range, the wines have a well documented history of performing well for many years past the vintage, not just surviving but thriving, becoming something more than what it was when first put in the bottle. A novice can get frustrated by that not being a blanket statement; the cheapest made Bordeaux don't keep very well, and not EVERY vintage is worthwhile either except for the top 5% or so estates. But in great vintages there is no other region in the world that provides as many wines still under $20 that will reward keeping in the cellar for a decade or longer. 2010 was just such a vintage, and this wine is just starting to showcase the benefits of time in the bottle. Still dark and earthy on the nose, the slight color changes of age are appearing, hinting at pale brick tones at the edges. The palate is where the age really becomes apparent, quickly shedding the harder tannins with time open and presenting a silkier texture, as well as notes of savory spice, tobacco and red fruits that are covered in its first years by youthful red and black fruits. For fun, try this beside a similarly priced 2015 Bordeaux, also a very successful vintage, and see if you find aging wines worth the patience and effort.
Regular Price $16.99, $14.44/case

2016 EDALO BLANCO CONDADO DE HUELVA
New vintage (and new label) for one of our more unique finds from last year. The Zalema grape is a fairly obscure variety found almost exclusively around the town of Huelva along the Andelusian coast. From such a warm climate near the Jerez or Sherry producing part of Spain, one would think the wines would be fruity or even fortified. Surprisingly the high plateaus near the coastline actually see steady coastal wines that cool the vineyards, and the native grape varieties actually do a spectacular job maintaining their natural acidity that is vital for wine. Lots of melons and tangerine aromas on the nose with a slight salty lime zest element give the wine a refreshing coastal attitude, while the lighter bodied palate is quenching and refreshing, lower in alcohol viscosity than the majority of Spanish white wine and just a hint of leesy texture on the finish. Anywhere you would want to have a Loire Sauvignon Blanc or light bodied Italian white would be a fun time to try this, and it may become a part of your regular drinking rotation!
Regular Price $11.99, $10.19/case

2016 KELLEREI KALTERN PINOT NERO ALTO ADIGE
Another wine from the Alto Adige appears in this Select Six, and we are OK with that as the reds and whites are quite unique and diverse. Long time customers of our store will probably recognize the Kellerei Kaltern labels, as the well run co-operative has been a mainstay here with their Pinot Grigio and many other selections of reds and whites. Many consumers will be surprised by the quality of Pinot Noir (Nero) produced here, especially those that may have grown weary of the priced paid for everyday Burgundy in recent years. The cooler climate helps to keep the sweeter fruit tones in check and brings out the tart red tones from the acidity, yet you don't find the high end levels of a 'Grand Cru' vineyard or producer, so the prices don't trend in that direction either. Subtle Old World styled fruit with subtle currant and soil influenced tones, more Burgundy in style with very little overt juicy flavors, and a vibrant silky texture on the palate that shows off how the Pinot Noir grape keeps its silky texture everywhere it goes. A distinct, food friendly Pinot that will please a lot of people.
Regular Price $16.99, $14.44/case

2016 PASCAL JOLIVET SAUVIGNON BLANC VAL DE LOIRE 'ATTITUDE'
Difficult vintages over the last few years in the Loire have made it increasingly difficult to find the exciting values that the region has been so consistent with over the years. Some of our favorite small producers may not have the volume to send as many cases over, or even more worrisome may have been hit hard by environmental factors and just not made wines of as good a quality as in the past. Therefore the wines we find that are exciting we are grabbing onto with both hands. Jolivet is well regarded as a Pouilly-Fume producer, and the fruit for this wine is sourced from in and around the region. Vibrant, flinty white fruit with hints of the tart gooseberry tones, and a distinctly Loire palate of tingly acidity and piercing citrus, as well as a bit of leesy texture that provide extra much needed body. A perfect Spring time wine.
Regular Price $16.99, $14.44/case

2016 RIEBEEK CELLARS SHIRAZ SWARTLAND
This is a  wine where you almost have to apologize for the price. You tell a customer how good it is, and the reaction is 'Really? That good? For under $10? What's the catch?' Yes, this really is THAT good. The South African region of Swartland is an under-tapped resource since the end of Apartheid, with thousands of acres filled with older vines from a time when the bulk wine industry for almost all of Africa was based here. Even the slightest efforts to improve quality can reap massive benefits, and can be done on the cheap. Rich dark fruit with absolutely no hard edges, and also without the sugary fruit left behind all too often in Australian Shiraz of the same price. If anything the underlying complexity is that of a nice Cotes du Rhone, with savory spice behind the currant and blackberries, even a touch of meaty game notes. Super easy to enjoy, and complex enough for you to enjoy the last bottle in the case as much as you did the first one!
Regular Price $9.99, $8.49/case

These wines regularly sell for $89.94
For Select Six March they are $77.99
You Save $11.95!
Select Six White (2 of each white) is $79.99
Select Six Red (2 of each red) is $77.99
Pick any three different bottles and get 10% off!