Wondering if that discounted bottle could possibly be any good, or finding that the $50 dollar bottle you read about in the Wine Spectator really tastes like $10 plonk. The horse that looks the best at the beginning isn’t always in the winner’s circle at the end of the race. Saturday we’ll be saddling up a bunch of contenders and watching them run. (We’ll also be watching the Kentucky Derby.) Come try the wines and find a winner for yourself.
Buying wine is sometimes like a horse race. Wondering if that discounted bottle could possibly be any good, or finding that the $50 dollar bottle you read about in the Wine Spectator really tastes like $10 plonk. The horse that looks the best at the beginning isn’t always in the winner’s circle at the end of the race. Saturday we’ll be saddling up a bunch of contenders and watching them run. (We’ll also be watching the Kentucky Derby.) Come try the wines and find a winner for yourself.
2012 Colterenzio Pinot Grigio $13
Colterenzio is high in the Alto Adige where northern and southern Europe meet, Germans and Italians, snow-covered mountains and fruitful valleys. Their Pinto Grigio has aromas of citrus, peach and honeydew melon, a medium full palate, and tangy acidity on the finish.
2012 Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières, Gigondas Rose $12
34% Grenache, 33 % Mouvèdre, 33% Cinsault
This privately owned estate has vineyards in Gigondas as well as Sablet, Lirac and Rasteau. The Rosé has a palate full of cherry and strawberry fruit with fresh acidity and excellent length. Was $20 now $12
2011 Roberto Fossati, Langhe Nebbiolo $14
Fossati makes this Nebbiolo at a price too good to be true. The wine sees 12 months in French oak, and six months bottle aging before release. It has rustic tannins and complex and aromatic notes of red cherries and violets with a chewy finish.
2010 L’Euziere Pic St Loup Almandin $12
70% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre.
L’Euzière is 23 hectares in the heart of the Pic Saint Loup appellation in the Languedoc. The wine ages 12 to 14 months in barrel and has aromas of cooked black cherries, crushed blackberry and blackcurrant with a dry finish. Was $16 now 12
2012 Chateau Canon, Canon-Fronsac $20
100% Merlot
Chateau Canon has been producing wine since the late 1580’s in the reviving appellation of Canon-Fronsac. This small 1.5-ha wine estate only produces about 6 to 7 barrels of a concentrated and elegant wine with sweet tannin and impeccable balance.
2009 Roberto Fassati, Barbaressco $25
Nebbiolo
Fassati’s Barbaresco sells for the price of most producers Langhes. It got 93 points in Wine Spectator which wrote: “Cherry, strawberry, licorice and soy aromas and flavors are matched to a silky texture and firm structure in this enticing red, der seams open, yet the tannins say Otherwise. Ends with a long aftertaste of spice and mineral. Be patient. Best from 2015 through 2028 “Too good to be true? Come see for yourself.
Sunday we are having a very special sneak preview of the 2012 vintage in Chateauneuf du Pape! The wines are just being bottled and shipped but our importer has some barrel samples that they are willing to share with us. This is a special chance to get a look ahead at these great wines. That’s 2pm on Sunday.