October 2014 Monthly Newsletter

OCTOBER TASTING EVENTS

We have 3 "do not miss" Tastings this month!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 9th, from: 5:30-7:30pm
A tasting with:  Andrea Cragnotti of:
Corte alla Flora
Delicious IGT Tuscan wines and DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Wednesday, October 15th, 5:30 to 7:30
Chris Thompson,
ANCIENT PEAKS WINERY
Estate Wines from Paso Robles.
Discounts will be offered on all Ancient Peaks wines.

ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 28TH FROM 5:30 TO 7:30PM, WE WELCOME:
ITALO STUPINO, OWNER
CASTELLO DI NEIVE
AZIENDA AGRICOLA DI ITALO STUPINO
EXTRAORDINARY WINES FROM ITALY’S PIEDMONT: BARBERA, BAROLO & BARBARESCO

TASTING EVERY SATURDAY 2 - 7:00pm———“WHATEVER WE FEEL LIKE OPENING”

NOW IS THE TIME TO ORDER BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES NOUVEAU

WE ARE PLEASED TO OFFER THE SAME PRICE AS LAST YEAR!

A perfect wine for the Thanksgiving table- Delivered the third Thursday in November (11/20).
We are, again, offering a village level of Nouveau from Domaine Manoir Du Carra. Beaujolais Nouveau Village is a slightly better quality level then basic Beaujolais.  This year was a roller coaster ride in Burgundy; cool warm & dry to start, hail from Beaune to Beaujolais in late June, crushingly hot weather in July followed by heavy rains in August. BUT, vintages are made in September and the weather has been perfect the last few weeks helping maturity and drying the fruit. Will it be a good vintage For Beaujolais? The consensus is YES!
E-mail us at or call us at 285-8011 and order before 11/14 and the price is: $8.95 per bottle and $99.95 per case (no additional discounts.) Regular price is $9.95/btl.

A HALLOWEEN OCTOBER “SHORT SIPS” CLASS

“World’s Scariest wines, Part 4” – Unusual wines from unusual regions

Over the last three years “scary” wines has been one of our most popular classes.  A one hour educational program, limited to eight people and held in our fine wine room. Because the demand has been so great we are doing the class twice in October – FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24th and 25th   5:30 to 6:30pm ––There is a $5 per person fee for this class & availability is on a first come first serve basis but you can call and reserve spaces at any time.

SANDHI CHARDONNAY -Single vineyard Chardonnay from California’s Santa Rita Hills AVA

“Sandhi is one of the most exciting new projects in California. The brainchild of investor Charles Banks, sommelier Rajat Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman, Sandhi excels with cool-climate Chardonnays and Pinots from some of Santa Barbara’s top sites. It is quite conceivable that within a few years the Sandi Chardonnays and Pinots could become reference point, benchmark wines for Santa Barbara, and California, for that matter.” – Antonio Galloni WA
2010 Sandhi Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills “Rita’s Crown” – ‘This intense white shows a rich, vibrant, concentrated core of citrus-laced green apple and green pineapple flavors. This is refreshing, clean and snappy, ending with a lift that lingers. Drink now through 2020. 375 cases made”. (WS 7/31/12) $58.95
2010 Sandhi Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills “Sanford & Benedict” – “A sleek, dense and concentrated Chardonnay, with a focused laser beam of white peach, tangerine and nectarine flavors that are tight and juicy. Drink now through 2020. 225 cases made.” (WS 7/31/12) $53.95

NEW ARRIVALS

          October is Rhone Season:
2010 Domaine Julien Masquin Chateauneuf-du-Pape “Montplaisir”, Rhone, France- (65% grenache, 20% syrah and 15% mourvedre)  “Bright red.  Aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry and succulent herbs.  Gains darker fruit character with air, along with a smoky, meaty nuance.  Juicy and precise, with very good finishing clarity and lingering cherry and spice notes.”(IWC Jan/Feb. ‘13) $34.95
2011 Domaine Senechaux Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone, Fr.-“A resounding success in the vintage, it is a knockout blend of 62% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the balance Mourvedre. Aged 50% in foudre, 35% in barrel and the rest in concrete, it offers up stunning notes of incense, lavender, roasted meats and bouquet garni to go with full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Loaded with character and charm, it’s hard to resist and should continue to dish out loads of pleasure for another 6-7 years.” (WA #209) $59.95
2012 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone Brezeme, France- “(100% syrah) Inky purple.  Potent mineral- and smoke-tinged dark berry, olive and candied violet scents are lifted by a peppery nuance.  Emphatically syrah, displaying energetic black and blue fruit flavors and a strong spicy overtone.  Becomes sweeter with air while maintaining its savory aspect, finishing with firm tannic grip and echoing floral character.  I’ll bet that this wine, which is a superb value, could do some damage in a blind flight of Cote-Roties.” (IWC 4/14) $29.95
    For those seeking the definition of northern Rhone Syrah, we recommend this new arrival:
2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rhone, Fr. – “The spectacular 2007 Hermitage boasts a dense purple color along with notes of creme de cassis, loamy soil, crushed rocks and acacia flowers, a rare opulence and a full-bodied style. Reminiscent of the 1991 Hermitage (a great vintage for Chave as well as most top producers in Hermitage), it should drink well for 20-25 years Drink: 2011-36” (WA #193) $249.95

        Full blown, no excuses, Napa Zin from the very serious Robert Biale Vineyards:
2012 Robert Biale Zinfandel Napa Valley “Black Chicken” – “Rich, dense and jammy, with aromas of cherry pie and spice. The ripe, layered blackberry flavors show accents of smoky caramel, sage and licorice. For fans of big wines. Drink now through 2018. 6,000 cases made.” (WS 10/15/14)  $49.95

2012 EBONY CHARDONNAY “THE HIVE”, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Deanna (Emerson’s wine buyer) visited Willamette Valley wineries in August and this was a standout:
“Chris Mazepink is the General Manager and Winemaker at Archery Summit and Ebony is his own small production (150 cases) label. One morning I met Chris in the Olenik Vineyard, Chehalem Mountain AVA for a tour after which he pulled glasses and a bottle of “The Hive” from the Jeep and we tasted. Grown on marine soils using only native yeasts, this wine speaks of place. Full and round with a touches of savory butter with apple, pineapple, and nut flavors and a dash of chalky minerality.” $32.95

MONTHLY SPECIALS