FEBRUARY 2009 NEWSLETTER
VALENTINE’S DAY SUGGESTIONS
Something different for Valentine’s Day – Have a bottle of champagne or (his or her) favorite wine delivered! We will be offering FREE (on orders of $30 or more) delivery on Friday and Saturday (2/13 and 2/14). Call us with you budget and style preference, we’ll pick the wine and wrap it in a gift bag with a red ribbon and a gift card. If you not sure what to get, here are a few ideas:
2003 Havens Bourriquot, Napa Valley – An elegant and medium bodied blend of Cabernet Franc & Merlot. $29.95
1998 Leroy Bourgogne – a mature Chardonnay done right, sumptuous and a little spicy. $44.95
NV Jean Vesselle “Rose de Saignee†–A true rose Champagne with beautiful fruit and acidity. $44.95
NV Avinyo Cava Rose – Salmon Pink with Strawberry fruit. $23.95
NV Riondo Pink Prosecco Frizzante – pink, light, frizzante from Italy -$13.95
GRAND CRU GERMAN RIESLING – Interesting new arrivals
We love German Riesling and the more you drink wine the more you appreciate the complexity of this “noble†grape. It is the MOST food friendly wine and it pairs well with anything from fish and chicken to spicy Mexican, Chinese, Thai or even sauerkraut and brats. Most importantly, much of the wine from Germany is not sweet and while German wine laws sometimes make it difficult to figure out the sugar level, one fairly reliable indicator is the alcohol percentage. The lower the alcohol (7-9%) the more residual sugar; the higher the alcohol (10 -13%) the drier (Trocken) the wine. We have a wonderful selection of drier Rieslings at great prices but we also just received two extraordinary “Grosses Gewachs†(Grand Cru) wines that rank in complexity with the great white Burgundies. Grosses Gewachs are dry wines from only the very best single vineyards and the wine laws are very strict about vineyard practices, yield, and vinification. These are very special wines made in extraordinarily small amounts:
2007 Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewachs – “Seductive aromas of cling peach, smoked meats and leather. Luscious passion fruit and fine minerality form layers on the palate. Dense, delicate and spicy on the long finish. 94pts.†(IWC Jan./Feb. ’09) $79.95 (This is one of three vineyards we have in stock.)
2007 Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten “Breumel in den Mauern†Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewachs – “Subtle aromas of white peach, candied lemon and woodsmoke. Dense apricot pit flavor with bright but integrated acidity drives the palate.†90(+?) pts, (IWC Jan/Feb 09) $89.95
INTERESTING NEW ARRIVALS – Cabernet Sauvignon
Sure it’s a recession and your everyday wines need to fit the budget; but for a special dinner on a special occasion you should treat yourself, so here are a few special new arrivals from the USA:
2005 Cakebread Cellars “Benchland Select†Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- “This is rich and plush, supple and harmonious, with generous plum, black cherry and wild berry fruit that runs deep and persistent, repeating the dark fruit themes and ending with firm yet gentle tannins. Drink now through 2014. 600 cases made. 92pts.†(WS Oct 15, 2008) $127.95
2006 Beau Vigne “Reserve†Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – [ The winemaker is David Phinney (Prisoner, Mercury Head)] “Absolutely profound is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which clearly puts Beau Vigne alongside the Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet as one of the stars of Stags Leap. A wine of great intensity, exceptional power, and admirable grace as well as equilibrium, this full-bodied 2006 offers beautifully sweet creme de cassis, licorice, spice box, and toasty oak characteristics. Multi- dimensional, with a layered mid-palate, and a finish that lasts 45+ seconds, it will benefit from some bottle age, although it is accessible enough to be drunk now. This small boutique operation (nine acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and one acre of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) sits on a knoll in the Stags Leap viticultural area. Although somewhat under the radar among the top Napa producers, Beau Vigne’s offerings are very impressive. 96 pts.†(Wine Advocate # 180) $99.95
2005 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon ,Columbia Valley, WA. - “The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon includes 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 4% Carmenere, and 2% Malbec in the blend. Purple-colored, it offers up notes of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, black currants, and plum. It conceals enough structure to evolve for 4-6 years and the wine admirably balances power and elegance. 94pts.†(Wine Advocate # 177) $99.95
2006 CLOS ERASMUS – NEW ARRIVALS
We just received our allocation of the 2006 Clos Erasmus from the Priorat DO in Catalonia Spain. These wines, vinted from a small parcel of old vine Grenache with a touch of Cabernet and Syrah have become the benchmark for wines from the Priorat. The 2006 is priced at $199.95 and probably needs a year or two in the bottle to fully develop but here are other vintages of Clos Erasmus in stock at the store:
2000 Clos Erasmus, Priorat – We only have magnums (1.5 L) and, to our knowledge, we are the only store in the country offering the larger format. Here is the review: “The blockbuster 2000 Clos Erasmus exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of jammy black fruits intermixed with a liquid minerality, and hints of vanilla as well as spice. With super purity, tremendous richness, and a full-bodied, long (45 seconds) finish, it will drink beautifully between 2006-2020. 96pts.†(Wine Advocate # 145) $499.95
2002 Clos Erasmus, Priorat - “undeniably one of the finest Priorats of the vintage. A blend of 75% Grenache and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, aged in 100% new Radoux barrels, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color along with noble notes of crushed rock-like steeliness, elegance, precision, power, and intensity. There is a layered mouthfeel, remarkable concentration for a 2002, and fine length as well as overall balance. 93pts.†Wine Advocate # 159. $129.95
VALUE WINES
2006 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma, North Coast, Ca.- I’ve always liked Martini wines just because they were one of the first to produce serious cabernet in California. They have had some good and bad years recently but we just tasted the ’06 Sonoma and thought it was superb. Here is the review from Robert Parker: “One of the finest bargains in California Cabernet Sauvignon must be Louis M. Martini’s outstanding 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma. The good news is there are 140,000 cases produced. Fabulously sweet aromas of black currants, licorice, and cedar soar from the glass of this medium to full-bodied wine. With silky tannins as well as surprising concentration, depth, and texture, this 2006 should drink well for 8-10 years. 90pts.†(Wine Advocate # 180) At $12.95 this is an unbeatable wine.
2007 Bodegas Nekeas “Vega Sindoa†Chardonnay Barrel Fermented – “The 2007 Chardonnay was barrel-fermented in new French oak and left in cask for 4 months on the lees with weekly batonnage. Medium-straw-colored, it has a slightly toasty, buttered popcorn scented nose along with mineral and green apple notes. On the palate this Chablis-like wine has good depth and concentration. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. 89pts.†(Wine Advocate # 178) $13.95.
FEBRUARY TASTING
Wines from the Rhone Valley
Thursday, February 19th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at our Store on Grove Ave.
A list of wines will be available in the store and special pricing will be available for purchases made during the tasting.
MONTHLY SPECIALS
Feb 2009 | Usual | Case (cs.btl cost) |
|
---|---|---|---|
*2005 CH. BELLEVUE LA FORET Rouge (Fronton, SW France) | $7.95 | $9.95 | $95 ($7.50) |
*2007 ODOARDI Scavigna Bianco (Calabria, Italy) | $8.95 | $10.95 | $100 ($8.33) |
*2007 DOMAINE DE LA BERGERIE Anjou Blanc (Loire, FR) | $9.95 | $11.95 | $100 ($8.33) |
*2004 VILLA BIZZARRI "Girone dei Folli" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Marche, IT) | $9.95 | $11.95 | $105 ($8.75) |
2007 VINA ROBLES "Red 4" (Paso Robles, CA) | $10.95 | $13.95 | $120 ($10.00) |
2007 FERRATON Cotes du Rhone Blanc (Rhone Valley, FR) | $9.95 | $11.95 | $115 ($9.58) |
2008 MONTGRAS Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley, Chile) | $11.95 | $13.95 | $130 ($10.83) |
2006 NITTNAUS Blauer Zweigelt (Burgenland, Austria) | $12.95 | $16.95 | $140 ($11.67) |
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