We are welcoming the New Year and the new administration with some new wines for the self. 4 more days until the Inauguration (don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Donald.)
2019 Evesham Wood, Blanc du Puits Sec, Eola-Amity Hills $17
85% Pinot Gris, 15% Gewürztraminer
Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, co-fermented them in stainless steel. The wine displays lots of spice and rose with hints of green apple and lime. Organic
2018 Cà dei Frati, I Frati, Lugana $19
Trebbiano
A complex, lees aged Trebbiano from older vines. It has concentrated but fresh perfume of white flowers, peaches and ripe lemons. On the palate it has excellent depth and balance, richness and a lovely crisp, lively finish.
2019 Quinta de Couselo, Turonia Albariño $23
Aromas of citric and white fruit with floral notes, aromatic herbs and river pebbles. Fresh, intense and well balanced. White fruit flavors with a sensation of lemon drops and a minerality that leads to ocean salinity.
2019 Casata Monticello, Dolcetto d’Asti $11
A good little value Dolcetto from the Sperone family, who have been engaged in wine production for 4 generations. Not Cru by any means but a great everyday drinker with pure dolcetto character.
2018 Odfjell Armador, Valle de Maipo, Cabernet Sauvignon $10
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Outstanding value from the winemaking team at Odfjell, such briary aromas of forest berries and cedary notes with fresh purple flowers here, too. The palate has good depth of fruit, in the purple-berry spectrum, and a fine web of fresh, juicy tannin. Organic
2018 Château La Maroutine, Bordeaux Rouge $11
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
The nose is attractive with cherry and strawberry notes that are supported by nice toasted notes. On the palate, the attack is smooth and round with nice soft tannins leaving the place for round, soft fruit.
2019 Château Haut Pourjac, Bordeaux Rouge $13
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot
A cab heavy Bordeaux with full aromas of red and black fruit (cassis, blackcurrant). The palate is elegant and round with expressive structure and velvety tannins, a very well-balanced wine.
2018 La Cabotte, Côtes du Rhône Colline $15
Grenache Syrah
The Coline uses Carignan and Cinsault to zing up the Grenache and Syrah, and Mourvedre to add stuffing. Plenty of spice and earth are coated with sweet fruit. Blackberries and raspberries are in abundance, with some pepper. In the mouth it is rich and unctuous. Bright fruit with good acidity balance out this dark red wine. Bottled unfiltered. Organic, biodynamic
2017 Domaine Alary, Côtes du Rhône La Gerbaude $15
70% Grenache, 30% Syrah
This Rhone has intense aromas of herbs, spice, black fruit, plum and cassis. The palate carries over the black fruit, with a dense texture on the finish.
2018 Domaine de Fages, Cahors $15
85 % Malbec , 15 % Merlot
Aromas of ripe blackberry, plum and red fruits flint and graphite. The palate is full round and balanced with lots of juicy cherry prune and mineral notes, a hint of clove with a long pleasant finish. Organic
2015 Ashton Troy, Cabernet Sauvignon$18
Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley AVA is rich and full-bodied, with an elegant tannin structure. It opens with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and ripe plum and is followed by hints of spiciness and minerality. Was $30 now $18
2017 Tornatore, Etna Rosso $22
95% Nerello Mascalese, 5% Merello Cappuccio
The Tornatore has a bouquet that is tight and streamlined, with wild rose and forest fruit followed by crushed stone and tangy mountain herb. There’s a salty note on the finish.
2018 Evesham Wood, Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée, Pinot Noir $26
Even with the significant concentration of the 2018 vintage, the liveliness of the Eola-Amity Hills comes through decisively in this year’s Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée. Bright and floral on the nose with an explosive mid-palate and seductive texture. Organic
Quinta da Romaneira, 10-year-old Tawny Port $28
Pale brick red tawny color. In its complex aroma, the vibrant young fruit blends deliciously with the attractive and characteristic dry fruits aromas like nuts. Rich and smooth on the palate it has an elegant structure and a long finish.