: 2007 MAS DEL PERIE CAHORS 'LA ROQUE'
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July 2010
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Select Six Archives:
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
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Total combined regular cost $84.94
For July they are only $72.99
You save $11.95!
All Red Select Six - $71.99
All White Select Six - $73.99 |
 2008
SEAN MINOR/4 BEARS CHARDONNAY CENTRAL COAST
Good California Chardonnay at a reasonable price
can be a bit of a minefield. There is plenty of good excess juice
out there due to the recent economic downturn looking for homes,
but you still have to be able to put the product in the bottle
without lousing it up. This relatively new producer is NOT a mass
market relabeling of the same junk that’s already everywhere,
but a small, family run negociant sourcing good fruit from wherever
they can strike a good deal and making very tasty wines with all
varietals they do. This is our first foray into their lineup (along
with their Pinot Noir) and it’s making us very happy so
far. Ripe and round on the palate as expected from Cali Chards,
the oak and malolactic regimen are much more restrained than typical
at this price point, allowing some of the natural green apple
notes to peek out around the peach and tropical fruits, and showing
nice acidity across the finish. While not trying to reinvent the
wheel with this wine, it does present a great take on what a value
Chardonnay can be.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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2009 ANTON BAUER ROSE
We have worked with many of the Anton Bauer wines for years, and
have always been a fan of some of the other Austrian roses, like
the Tegernseerhof Zweigelt we keep in stock almost all year round.
It’s only natural that we eventually bring in Anton’s
Rose, and summertime is a great time to do it. Done in the typical
European dry style of rose, this shows more delicacy and subtlety
than one would expect, more Provencal than the juicier ones from
Tavel. Pale ruby colored, the aromas show more of fruit skins
and flower petals than fruit pulp, and on the palate the strawberry
and cherry flavors show a nice tart edge that gets almost a bit
of a sage/herbal note on the finish. This is another rose to remind
you why we’ve gotten the style so wrong in America for so
many years, and will make you wish more of them were available
all year round.
Regular price $11.99, $10.19/case
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2008 SANTA DIGNA CARMENERE RESERVE
If you have not tasted Carmenere before, this is a grape with
a very interesting history. Once part of the mix in Bordeaux along
with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and the like, it fell largely
into obscurity if not outright banishment after the phylloxera
blight in the late 1800s. The grape was one of the first to have
issues in moist or cool vintages, so most vineyards chose to drop
it when replanting. The grape survived on in Chile, which avoided
the European vineyard blights completely, though it had become
confused with Merlot; this explained why, for decades, most consumers
and experts complained that Chilean merlot just didn’t taste
the same as merlot in the rest of the world. In the 1990s the
grape was identified for what it was, and the Chilean wine industry
found themselves with a dearth of Merlot to market, but a great
big pile of Carmenere on their hands. The grape now thrives on
its own merits, and this bottling has been a staple of the store
for several vintages now. Rich and ruby in color, the grape shows
off its staple aromas of dusty cherry, cedary spice, and hints
of smoke. In the mouth the texture is smoother than a Cabernet
Sauvignon, but not without signs of tannins behind the recurring
spicy berry and smoky fruit, along with hints of cocoa. A great
everyday red full enough for red meats and grilled foods but not
too overwhelming to sip on and enjoy alone.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case |
2009 ROCCHE COSTAMAGNA ROERO ARNEIS
Not many places will say they have a ‘house’ Arneis,
but this wine has served us well for about five vintages now with
nary a dip in quality. The grape is almost exclusively grown in
the Piedmont region of Italy, most notably in the area around
Alba designated as Roero. Most of the better Barolo and Barbaresco
producers make a Roero as their obligatory dry white wine, with
the occasional Moscato d’Asti making its way in for something
fruity and fun. It’s a little different, showing lots of
dried white fruits and a hint of almonds, but is a refreshing
break from the fruitier Pinot Grigios many people tend to associate
with Italy. Surprisingly golden in color but not heavy or sweet,
the aromas are classic dried apples and melons, almonds, and a
hint of dried honey. The palate is surprisingly full but still
has great acidity to keep it from seeming heavy, giving the long
finish a tart and slightly herbal sense. For most this would be
a bit much for drinking on its own, but will accompany a large
array of poultry and hearty fish dishes as well as some moderate
strength cheeses.
Regular price $14.99, $12.74/case
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2008 WALLACE BROOK PINOT GRIS WILLAMETTE
VALLEY
In most regions of the world that make excellent
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay tends to be the accompanying white grape
from most wineries. No so in Oregon, where Pinot Gris has become
the predominant white grape of choice. Chardonnay is still done
there, and quite a few fine ones, but not nearly to the same scale
and success. Pinot Gris tends to be done in the Alsatian style,
going for cooler white fruits, refreshing, and in some cases a
bit of honeyed sweetness on the middle of the palate. This is
a new offering to us from a great small producer (only 9,000 cases
of this made), and it embraces the crisper side of the grape.
Very clean aromas of pear skin and lime juice, and a refreshingly
crisp texture that shows no sweetness, only pulpy fruit. These
wines sing in the summertime, perfect with any sort of fresh fruits
and lighter dishes, as well as year round with spicy or Asian
influenced cuisine.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case |
2007 ALBERT BICHOT BOURGOGNE ROUGE VIEILLES VIGNES
Following in the hype of the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’
2005 vintage, Burgundy has slipped into a succession of more difficult
vintages. 2006, 2007, and the soon to arrive 2008s are all vintages
where most critics and reviewers caution buyers to taste as much
as you can before buying and not speculate too much on the really
high end bottlings. In a region that gets a bad reputation for
being overly pricey even in the best of vintages, this means there
will be a large amount of expensive, underperforming wines at
all levels. Even the ‘value’ wines may not be a bargain
if they’re all barnyard and cherry pits. We’ve really
like the quality level of the Burgundies from Albert Bichot the
last few vintages, and this bottling has hit the sweet spot for
2007. While not as plush and bursting with silky red fruits like
the 2005s, this is by no means thin or weedy, with nice smoky
cherry fruit- including the skins, forest floor, and mushrooms.
The texture is classic silky Burgundy, with a nice weight aided
by the use of older vines in this bottling, and no signs of any
hard edges or green fruit, just a light and clipped tart note
through the finish. Not for cellaring long term, this is great
to enjoy with all sorts of lighter game and cheeses.
Regular price $16.99, $14.44/case
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