July 2009 Newsletter

A BEACH AND RIVER SAMPLER

Here are 3 perfect wines for the beach or river:
2008 Valle Martello Montpulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy – raspberries, cherries, spices and licorice in a medium bodied frame. Great with steak or barbeque and this one could be served slightly chilled.  $10.95
Broadbent Vinho Verde, Portugal - This zesty white with slightly lower alcohol (9%) shows orange and fresh peach flavors. Light and spicy on the finish.  $9.95
2008 “Atmosphere” Rose, Vin De Pays Du Var, France –Wonderfully fresh, dry Provence Rose - $10.95

Pick up a 6 bottle Beach and River sampler (2 each of the above three wines) for $53.95 and save 15%!

NEW ARRIVALS

2004 Xtant “Petit Batard” – “a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 20% Malbec. Aromas and flavors of currants, licorice, underbrush, cedar, and loamy soil are found in this medium-bodied red along with excellent concentration as well as plenty of charm and suppleness. 89pts “ (WA# 180) $35.95
2006 Stuhlmuller Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – “an outstanding, reasonably priced 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet, earth-infused black currant and black cherry fruit is accompanied by a wine exhibiting excellent depth, a full-bodied mouthfeel, no hard edges, and hints of Chinese black tea and spicy oak. Consume it over the next decade. 91pts.” (WA # 180) $39.95
2005 Clos Galena Clos Galena, Priorat – “40% Garnacha Negra, 20% Carinena, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 10% Syrah aged for 12 months in French and American oak. Inky purple,… a larger-scaled wine bordering on opulent. Rich and layered with plenty of underlying structure, this hedonistic effort will evolve for 5-7 years and drink well through 2025. 95pts.” (WA# 175) Only available at Emerson’s. $65.95

THE BAD BOY IS BACK

We didn’t think we would get an additional chance to get the 2005 Bad Boy Bordeaux Rouge but, we did.
“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. Thunevin has unquestionably hit a home run with this bargain-priced 2005. Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years. Bordeaux needs to make more wines such as this. 88pts.”WA # 178 $29.95

EVERYDAY VALUE WINES

Wines we love that are often but not always the least expensive but offer a great cost to taste ratio.

2007 McManis Viognier – juicy lemon-lime, golden apple character, with spicy notes on the finish. $11.95
2007 Ch. Du Coing de St. Fiacre Muscadet - peach, apple and pear. Crisp and intense in the mouth with mineral notes and great length. Serve chilled as an aperitif - or with shrimp or grilled fish. $10.95

The VIRGINIA ABC’s* (*Alcohol Board of Control)

As people are tightening their belts in these uncertain economic times we hear comments about shopping at the “big box stores” to save some money. The belief is that things are less expensive in these stores because they have less staff (overhead) and can purchase in larger volumes which reduces the cost of the goods sold to the consumer. While this is generally true for most products it is not necessarily true for wine. Because VA ABC rules require each store location have a separate ABC license, the rules for “deals” and volume purchasing must relate only to the volume by the separate licensee and not the total volume of the corporation. Thus, Emerson’s, and other wine stores, often purchase at volumes as great or greater than an individual big box store allowing us to offer competitive prices and, we hope, great service.

TRUTH IN BAGGING

Some have suggested that we should have an Emerson’s re-usable wine bag like other stores are doing. There are three reasons we don’t: 1) We’re not like other stores; 2) According to an article the Wall Street Journal “Many of the cheap, reusable bags that retailers favor are produced in Chinese factories and made from nonwoven polypropylene, a form of plastic that requires about 28 times as much energy to produce as the plastic used in standard disposable bags and eight times as much as a paper sack, according to Mr. Sterling, of Natural Capitalism Solutions.” and 3) Studies show that most of these bags go unused sitting in car trunks and pantrys. The big corporate marketing departments mean well but their ultimate goal is more brand awareness and loyalty than saving the environment. But now that the bags are out there, the best solution is for you to reuse the ones you have and refuse additional bags (even when offered for free.) To that end, during the months of July and August we will begin to offer a 10% discount on 6 bottles or more to any of our customers who choose to bring in their own bags from any other store, woven, non-woven, cotton, etc. or bring in an old bag from LL Bean -  we don’t care.

MONTHLY SPECIALS