August 2019 Monthly newsletter

August Tasting Events

Join us on Wednesday 8/14 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
Brad Hemp From Importer Wine Traditions. Ltd.
Southwest France Focused Tasting

Wed. 8/21   5:30-7:30pm
ODDS & ENDS & SURPRISES TASTING
Time to clear excess stock with appropriate discounts.

WINE TASTING EVERY SATURDAY   2:00pm-6:00pm
‘Whatever we feel like opening”

The Last Saturday Wine School – Rosé- the pink details.
The last Saturday of each month changes from a “whatever we feel like drinking” tasting event to a mini wine school tasting. We’ll pick a topic, theme, etc. and taste with a purpose! The wines we taste will be offered as a package with a discount. This is very informal with no scheduled start or finish time. Come anytime you want between 2 and 6 pm on Saturday, August 31st. Each session will be about 10 minutes!

AUGUST “SHORT SIPS” CLASS – Sauvignon Blanc Blind

We’ll discuss the Sauvignon grape and blind taste examples from around the world.
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 July – FRIDAY & SATURDAY, August 16th and 17th from 6:00 to 7:00pm –– Due to the nature of the wines, the class fee is $8 per person.

AUGUST SPECIAL OFFERS

ON SALE: 2013 Pieve Santa Restituta, GAJA, Brunello di Montalcino “Rennina” Tuscany, Italy
Acquired by Angelo Gaja in 1994 The Pieve Santa Restituta consists of “white,” rocky soils in the southwest subzone of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation. Here is a review from the The Wine Advocate #235:
“The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina is a dark, plush and succulent red wine with seamless overall integration. Angelo Gaja makes his wines with broad brush strokes that form shapes of perfect harmony and grandeur. He seems less interested in the minutiae, much in the same way an impressionist painter creates a portrait without consideration for the gritty details of reality. Continuing with my art metaphor, I’ll venture to say that this is a big-picture wine that embraces bold fruit, oak spice, acidity and tannin in one overwhelming and warm embrace. I usually score the Sugarille a point or two higher, but this year the Rennina won my heart.”Reg. price: $199.99, On Sale in AUGUST: $141.99 (while supplies last/ no further discounts)

ON SALE: 2018 Domaine Saint Antoine Patricia Raquin Vieilles Vignes Chablis, Burgundy, France
Patricia and her husband are burgundy negociants and worked with Domaine Saint Antoine to raise this old vine Chablis that ALL of us liked (a rarity) It’s a 100% Chardonnay grown on Kimmeridgian soils. A golden color with green highlights, a fresh and aromatic nose with white flower nuances. Round and smooth in the mouth with very very slight oak flavors and a classic Chablis lift on the finish.
Reg. price: $29.99, On Sale in AUGUST: $24.99 (while supplies last/ no further discounts)

ON SALE: 2017 Alexandre Monmousseau Vouvary “Clos le Vigneau”, Loire Valley France
Vouvray is a perfect summer wine. Clos Le Vigneau is a single vineyard from an area known as “les Gués d’Amant” or “Lover’s Gap”. Most of the vines were planted in 1929. The soil is a mixture of argilo-calcaire, silex and gravel. Here is a review from Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019):
“The 2017 Vouvray Clos Le Vigneau comes all from a single lieu-dit (Clos Le Vigneau) and is 100% Chenin Blanc brought up all in tank. This medium-bodied, rounded, off-dry white offers up beautiful notes of peach, honeyed apple, and citrus-like aromas and flavors. I love its purity, it has good acidity, and it’s a brilliant white that’s going to shine for at least 4-5 years, and I suspect much longer. There’s no need to delay gratification though.” Reg. price: $19.99, On Sale in AUGUST: $14.99 (while supplies last/ no further discounts)

NEW ARRIVALS: 2010 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, DOC, Italy

Iconic Italian winery that was out of the market for a time and is again available.

“Bright ruby. Precise, spicy aromas of ripe red berries, dark plum and violet accented by cumin and caraway seed. At once densely packed and broad but juicy and refined too, boasting terrific acid-fruit-tannin balance and penetrating red cherry, underbrush and sweet spice flavors. This lovely wine is suave and fine-grained and finishes very long. It would be prudent to decant this at least two-three hours ahead; one bottle I had was initially marred by almost unacceptable levels of funkiness, another was instead brilliantly pure and clean, so allowing this wine to breathe a little prior to serving is not a bad idea.” (Vinous 6/17) $159.99

NEW ARRIVALS: Peter Michael: The essence of Knights Valley, Sonoma County

We get so little is hardly makes sense to put it in the newsletter.

2017 Peter Michael Chardonnay “La Carrière”, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California
Peter Michael’s 2017 Chardonnay La Carrière is laced with a super-intriguing mix of orchard fruit, lemon peel, slate, mint and crushed rocks. Bright and intensely saline, La Carrière is super-expressive in 2017, not to mention incredibly delicious. La Carrière is perhaps disadvantaged a bit by being served in a flight of Chardonnays, but it is compelling just the same. Although none of the Peter Michael wines is inexpensive, La Carrière is arguably the best relative value in the range.” (Vinous, Antonio Galloni) $109.99
2016 Peter Michael “Les Pavots” Proprietary Red Wine- “A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, the very deep purple-black colored 2016 Les Pavots Proprietary Red Wine sings of crushed blackcurrants, blueberry preserves and blackberry pie with hints of camphor, black soil, truffles, crushed rocks and red roses plus a touch of garrigue. Full, rich and with wonderful finesse in the mouth, it has very finely grained tannins and plenty of vivacity, finishing long and earthy. 3,700 cases produced, to be released in the spring of 2019. Drink: 2020 – 2040.” (WA 10/18) $239.99

ROSÉ NEW ARRIVALS: Two Italian gems- One old favorite, one new.

2018 G.D. Vajra Rosato Rosa Bella, Piedmont, Italy- “Bright pink. Intense, mineral-accented aromas of red berries and fresh flowers, with a herbal undertone. Classically dry and vibrant rose that closes long and crisp, with nicely persistent notes of herbs and red fruit.” (Vinous 5/19) $19.99
NV Poderi Cellario ’È Rosato’ Vino Rosato, Piedmont, Italy - a liter bottle blend of Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, organic production, minimal Sulphur, no filter/fining. Strawberries, fresh, clean and super gluggable. $19.99

MONTHLY SPECIALS