August 2013 Newsletter

AUGUST TASTING EVENTS

WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST 21st   5:30-7:30 pm at our store on Grove Ave.
Jared Brandt, Owner and Winemaker of
DONKEY AND GOAT Wines
RHONE Varietals from Northern California
“We strive to make wine as naturally as possible. We’ve done so since day one. Of late, natural is fashionable, which we appreciate, but we’ve always made wines this way because we feel it makes a superior wine while aligning with our philosophies.”
During the tasting discounts will be offered an all Donkey and Goat Wines.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14th  
  5:30pm to 7:30pm
DAVID Jones from
DOWNEY SELECTIONS
Delicious Italian Wines and more…
Fourth in a series of “David” Tastings    

WINE TASTING EVERY SATURDAY
  2:00pm-7:00pm
Whatever we feel like opening”
               

2012 ARNOT-ROBERTS ROSE

Daughter (works in a wine shop in NYC): Seriously, You still have Arnot- Roberts Rose? Me: Yes, several bottles. Daughter: Wow, everybody raved about it and we ran out in May.
2012 Arnot-Roberts Rose North Coast, California- “(80% touriga nacional and 20% tinta cao) Pale orange.  A wild, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes red berries, potpourri and tarragon, with smoke and mineral overtones.  On the palate, sappy redcurrant and blood orange flavors are complemented by a deeper note of licorice that sneaks in on the back half.  Finishes tangy and incisive, with the floral element echoing.” (IWC 7/13) $23.95

GERARD BOULAY SANCERRE

“It’s a pleasure to witness the buzz beginning at last to collect both in France and abroad around this diligent grower whose wines for so long far-excelled his modest reputation.” (DS)
2011 Gerard Boulay “Domaine Comtesse” Sancerre, Loire Valley, Fr. - leads with a sweetly scented bouquet of iris and honeysuckle, followed by quince and white peach, all combining on a lush, silken-textured, liquidly floral, almost honeyed palate that seems to glow with intensity and against which, remarkably for this vintage, chalky and seemingly crystalline mineral elements emerge to engage in a long and dynamic finishing interchange. This looks to fulfill the promise of this special spot on the Monts Damnes even as the 2010, inexplicably, does not. Look for at least a decade of intrigue and seduction.”(WA #201) $52.95
2011 Gerard Boulay Sancerre Mont Damnes Loire Valley, Fr –“High-toned, penetrating scents of mint, wormwood, white pepper, and citrus oils rise from the glass, along with some yeasty notes not surprising in a wine tasted from tank. Lemon and grapefruit offer an invigoratingly bright palate with their accents of rind, pepper, and chalk; while peppermint and a sweet freesia-like suggestion of inner-mouth perfume add stimulating allure. Long on finesse and refreshment – and just plain long, this Sancerre’s evolution is going to be deliciously fascinating to follow over the next half dozen years, if not beyond.” (WA#201) $42.95

2000 and 2005 Vieux Château GAUBERT MAGNUMS

We don’t think of August as a time for drinking red Bordeaux but we have a few specially ordered Magnums available from two great vintages at a ridiculous price, $59.95. This small château and its vineyards are located in the town of Portets – a great spot in the Graves district of Bordeaux, not far from the banks of the Garonne River. Graves wines are the only wines in France to bear the name of their soil: “Las Grabas de Bordeus”, litterally “Bordeaux Gravel”. Dominique and Hélène Haverlan, the proprietors of this estate are the third generation of the Haverlan family to make wine in this small village. The soil here is composed of riverbed gravel typical to the region. All the wines made here are farmed using sustainable agriculture at low yields and very selective harvesting. Buy now for fall grilling or the holiday dinner table.
2000 Vieux Chateau Gaubert, Graves - A classic red wine, with backbone and tannins to resolve. Medium-full, rich, ample and long. Drink 2007-15.
2005 Vieux Chateau Gaubert, Graves -  A 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this shows big fruity flavors tempered with a dry core of tannins; but there is also a more mouth filling character of black plum juice to give the wine a final roundness.

NEW ARRIVALS

2010 Sbragia Family Vineyards Merlot Home Ranch, Sonoma, California –“bursts from the glass with juicy dark berries, tobacco, spices and dried flowers. Sweet floral notes appear on the mid-palate, adding lift and femininity. The 2010 includes a dollop of Cabernet Franc from Mt. Veeder that adds welcome shades of further nuance. This is another screaming value from Ed and Adam Sbragia. 2013-2018.” (WA #206) $29.95
2005 Remelluri La Granja Remelluri Rioja Gran Reserva - A visit to Rioja could not pass without a stop at Bodegas Remelluri which is suffused with a sense of place and history, epitomized by the family’s home that is veiled in a monastic aura, every nook and cranny coveting untold stories from the 14th century when the monks from the Tolono monastery founded a sanctuary on this site .“The 2005 Gran Reserva is the first since 1999 selected from the best casks, where it is aged for 25 months in used French and American oak. It has a wonderful, wild mint-scented bouquet with hints of licorice and white fennel. The palate is medium-bodied with bold tannins that bolster its vaulted structure. It has very good weight with grippy, dry, tertiary tannins towards the long finish. It will need several years in the cellar. Drink 2016-2025. (WA #202) $86.95

THE WORLDS GREATEST BEACH WINES

An overstatement, perhaps, but these wines are so clean and so refreshing they stand out from the pack.
2011 Ameztoi Txakoli Getariako Txakolina,Spain - An almost unpronounceable name made from an obscure Basque region grape, hondarribi zurri, this delicious, dry, tight, stony wine with floral touches finishes with clarity, lemon and a touch of petillance. The perfect beach, fish taco or sushi wine. $19.95 Even better might be the rose, the 2012 Ameztoi Rubentis Getariako Txakolina (50% hondarribi beltza and 50% hondarribi zurri, “Pale pink. Potent mineral and floral aromas of raspberry, cherry pit and blood orange, with a touch of white pepper coming up with air.  Dry, racy and precise, offering bitter orange zest and cherry flavors and a touch of honeysuckle.  Very fresh and energetic on the finish, offering sexy floral and spicecake qualities.  A double magnum seems like the ideal single-serving portion for this ridiculously delicious wine.” (IWC, Jul 13). $19.95 If you want something more “mainstream”, try the 2012 Château Soucherie “Cuvee L’Astree” Rose de Loire. This dry, mineral-driven Rosé is produced from Grolleau (70%) and Gamay (30%) has hints of strawberry and finishes clean and crisp. $16.95

MONTHLY SPECIALS