November 2008 Newsletter

NEW ARRIVALS

1998 LEROY Bourgogne Blanc – If you enjoy Chardonnay, this is a wine you must try. Lalou Bize Leroy’s domaine and negociant wines (and we have many of both in the store) are the benchmark for Burgundy, but they are incredibly expensive. Each year, through her distributor, she offers up a variety of wines from her extensive cellar and we recently tasted and purchased these 1998’s as they are, relatively speaking, affordable. This chardonnay is for drinking now and it is seamless, unctuous and balanced with plenty of well integrated oak.  $44.95 (“Burgundy Lovers owe it to themselves to sample the craft and artistry of Leroy” – R.  Parker, Jr.)

2006 PETALOS del Bierzo – “purple-colored with a fragrant nose of violets, lavender, mulberry, and blueberry. Ripe, supple, and sweetly fruited, it will evolve for 2-3 years and drink well through 2015.This estate was started in 1998 by Alvaro Palacios. It has steep hillside vineyards and 60-100 year old vines planted in 100% Mencia, a varietal indigenous to Bierzo, a cool-climate D.O. 91 pts” (WA #178) $24.95

JEAN-LUC THUNEVIN

Our October tasting with Jean-Luc was a great success and he gave us a nice write-up on his blog. We’ll have a copy of that on our website once it’s up and running. All the wines were well received, but we especially liked the 2005 Bad Boy A.O.C. Bordeaux,  as did Robert Parker: “A superb sleeper of the vintage, this Bordeaux blend from Jean-Luc Thunevin delivers everything it should. Loads of plum, cassis, and cherry fruit are found in this silky-textured, medium-bodied, pure, delicious effort. Bordeaux needs to make more wines such as this. 88pts.” (WA #178) $31.95

THANKSGIVING WINE SUGGESTIONS

The best way to get the right wine for Thanksgiving is to stop by the store for our November tasting where you will be able to taste wines in concert with the food of the season. Absent that, here are the best generic suggestions for the basic Turkey w/ stuffing dinner, and when you stop in we will be happy to help you pick the one that matches your taste and your meal:
White Wines – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, and especially Alsatian or German Riesling
Red Wines –Beaujolais and Pinot Noir, particularly from Burgundy or Oregon.

2OO7 “THE PRISONER”

The 2007 vintage of Dave Phinney’s “The Prisoner” from Orin Swift is scheduled for release the last week in October (around Halloween). This has been without question our largest selling Zinfandel blend and the 2007 is purported to be as good if not better then the ‘05 and ‘06. The ‘07 blend is 50% Zinfandel, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 9% Petite Sirah and a dash of Charbono and Grenache. $34.95

2008 BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES NOUVEAU

This year we will, once again, be offering a Village level Nouveau, the 2008 Manoir du Carra, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau. We recently blind tasted some Beaujolais-Villages for the store and this producer was a clear winner. We think their Nouveau will be one of the best of the vintage. The cost remains $13.95/bottle or $141.95/case (this includes the 15% discount). The wine, as always, will be available the third Thursday in November (11/20). Pre –order you case before November 19th and receive a 20% case discount and pay only $133.95/case. CALL 285-8011 to reserve your case.

VALUE WINES

Not necessarily the least expensive wines, but rather those that offer the best “bang for the buck”:
VIGNERONS DE ST.-FÉLIX DE LODEZ 2005 Les Hauts de la Brune Coteaux du Languedoc- “A suave red, with muscular flavors of red cherry, plum and berry. This is also crisp, with lots of iron, mineral and tannins on the finish. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. 87pts.” (WS 6/15/08)  $10.95
2007 BURGANS Albarino - is light gold-colored with a sprightly nose of mineral, spring flowers, and lemon peel. Ripe, balanced, and concentrated, this is an ideal match for flaky fish courses…. in terms of bang for the buck, it has no challenger. 90pts.” (WA # 178) $12.95

MONTHLY SPECIALS