: 2008 MARQUES DE GRINON 'CALIZA' DOMINIO DE VALDEPUSA
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2012 ESTANDON VIGNERONS TERRES DE ST-LOUIS BLANC COTEAUX VAROIX
Few places in the world embody the warmth of Spring
and Summer like Provence. From the luxurious beaches, the scenery
(natural and man-made), the festivals, and the overall ‘joie
de vivre’, the reasons the world flocks here from May until
September are obvious. And the wines aren’t too shabby either,
built perfectly to match with the great seafood and light enough
to not get in the way of the party at hand. This is a perfect
example, showcasing fresh warm melon and tropical fruit aromas
almost as quenching as a bite of the fruits themselves. In the
mouth the weight is equally juicy and round, picked up by hints
of lime citrus that keeps the palate lively through the finish.
Those of you that find most French whites overly crisp or acidic
will enjoy this out by the pool or with light seafood and summer
salads.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case |
 NV
ROGER SABON ‘PLAISIR 75cl.’
Most people will rarely cellar their less expensive Rhone wines.
Certainly they’ll let their Chateauneufs or Gigondas sleep,
but the everyday Cotes du Rhones tend to get sucked down in the
first 2-3 years after vintage. It’s fun when we are able
to provide a little taste of what a little extra age can do for
a wine, perhaps encouraging you to hide a few more things on your
own. The Sabon family is one of the oldest estate bottlers in
Chateauneuf, and their iconic bottlings are routinely among the
most sought after in the region. Though labeled as a NV wine (thanks
to some of the more arcane and frustrating rules of the French
appellation system), this is 2007 fruit and essentially the equal
of a Cotes du Rhone. Made up primarily of Grenache and Syrah,
the extra bottle age has allowed the customary ripe red fruits
of the Rhone to take a step back and allow the spice and garrigue
herbs to show through, providing a savory punch to the restrained
red fruits. The palate is almost Burgundian at first in its silkiness,
with the weight building as it opens up to give a more robust
body to the finely spiced and meaty fruit. Not one to pop and
drink over two days, as the flavors do rise and fall fairly quickly,
but a fun fully mature wine you can enjoy pretty much any evening
you want it.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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2010 I FABRINI MERLOT MARCHE
This is another one of those wines where we may have prices this
TOO low. Some people seem to be afraid of this thinking it’s
a ‘cheap plonky Merlot’, but you should know better
than to think we would ever foist a wine like that upon you. This
wine from the broad Marche region on the Adriatic coast is built
to be a simple value, but is far more tasty that the price lets
on and miles ahead of what passes for value Merlot from domestic
sources. Mid-weight and a dusty red color in the glass, the nose
is a light cherry with touches of earth, and the palate is more
of the same with a nice silky texture, absent of any green or
harsh edges that plague most inexpensive wines. A great bottle
to have on hand to pop open at a moment’s notice.
Regular price $7.99, $6.79/case |
2012 LA BASTIDE ST DOMINIQUE ROUSSANNE VDP MEDITERRANEE
We feature many wines from Bastide St Dominique because of their
consistent quality and great pricing here in Central Virginia.
They also are constantly exploring the Rhone region for new sources
to broaden their already extensive selection, so there are always
new treats to pop up. Roussanne is a grape of great power and
intensity that gets featured prominently in both the Northern
and Southern Rhone, but doesn’t usually get featured in
value wines due to its fragile nature. Even domestic wineries
that experiment with the Rhone varieties rarely show them for
less than $30. All of which makes this wine so much more amazing
for the money, as most producers in the world would be thrilled
and applauded to make this available at $20. For less than $15
you get a look at a varietally correct wine you rarely get to
see flying solo at all. Full, intense nose of musky white fruits
and signature subtle notes of citrus pith and what some will call
notes of herbal tea that get more exotic and fine as the glass
remains open. In the mouth the flavors are full and fresh, intermingling
the melon and citrus tones with fairly forward skin tannins that
give the finish a long, drying intensity. This is a white that
can hold up to fairly rich seafood preparations far better than
any other $15 white you will find out there.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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2012 A.A. BADENHORST CHENIN BLANC
‘SECATEURS’ SWARTLAND
(Wine Advocate 92points)
We have raved vintage after vintage about the
wines from this South African estate, having placed it and/or
the Secateurs Red in a Select Six almost every vintage we have
had them. If you have not tried their wines yet, shame on you!
The Secateurs line represents their best values yet still come
from older bush vines and are treated with the same bio-friendly
care as their top wines. The aroma is both rich and refreshing,
full of honeyed fruit and zesty citrus, as well as a hint of the
savory mushroomy notes (some reviewers also get ‘wet wool’)
that are rarely found outside the Vouvray region in the Loire.
The vine age here helps add to that intensity and diversity of
aroma, and comes through even more so on the palate, showing long
round flavors that never approach sweetness thanks to lively acidity
and natural skin tannins through the finish. This is a wine that
drinks with far more complexity and joy than the price point usually
allows. Stock up for the warm months ahead.
Regular price $14.99, $12.74/case |
2010 MILCAMPOS RIBERA DEL DUERO
VINAS VIEJAS
(Wine Advocate 94points)
We are posting this very favorable press from the Wine Advocate,
but not because we agree with it. At least not completely. This
is a ‘number’, a ‘score’ that should be
reserved for wines that are considered elite, and this just isn’t
there. But it is really, REALLY tasty and delivers a great tasting
experience for the price point, and if we were to attach a score
would probably knock it down a few points to the merely outstanding
level. And for $16, who will really argue with an outstanding
bottle? Deep, dark, and intensely packed with black fruit on the
nose and the palate, as well as subtle vanilla tones from the
French and American oak barrels. This is the poster child for
the ‘Modern’ style of wine from the Duero, showing
all its style up front and providing silky yet sturdy tannins
on the palate that give the wine lots of bold, bruising intensity.
This is a wine that will appeal to most drinkers of New World
wines from Argentina and Australia, and maybe even the California
Cab drinkers among you.
Regular price $15.99, $13.59/case
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