This Saturday we’re pouring some wonderful everyday wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Côtes du Rhône. The wines are diverse and delicious, fit a wide variety of occasions. It’s a great reminder that French wine need not be about big names and high prices. Take a break from your Saturday and give them a try.

2010 Chateau Haut-Mongeat, Graves de Vayres Blanc $11
65% Semillon / 30% Muscadelle / 5% Sauvignon Blanc
Haut-Mongeat is made by Isabelle Bouchon who runs her third generation family farm in this small appellation of Entre deux Mers. The wine is fresh and lively with a palate-cleansing racy acidity and bright, ripe fruit. The bouquet is highly aromatic with abundant notes of apple, pear, pineapple, and flowers. 

2011 Domaine Garnier & Fils, Petit Chablis $14  
Chardonnay
The work of two brothers, Garnier’s Petit Chablis is made from grapes harvested from a small single vineyard with soil of sandy clay and limestone. After a five month fermentation, the wine is aged for six months in large steel tanks, which maintains its citrus freshness. There is nothing petit about this unoaked Chardonnay except the price. Its crisp, aromas of flowers and cut grass blend with undertones of chalk and white stones. The generous, rich texture on the palate reveals a slight burst of candied lemon and tastes of citrus and subtle herbs with lots of good fruit and good minerality. 

2010 Chateau Brethous, Bordeaux Clairet $10
50% Cabernet Sauvignon / 50% Cabernet Franc 
Brethous is a small bio-dynamically farmed vineyard. Their Clairet is could be called a dark rose or a light Bordeaux. Either way the wine is loaded with fruit and shows a broad pallet of flavors: Strawberry, raspberry, plus hints of apple, pear, mango and passion fruit. It can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

2010 Nicolas Croze Notre Dame de Mélinas, Côtes du Rhône $15   
40% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Cinsault
Nicolas Croze comes from an estate in the Ardeche, between the north and the south Rhône. The wine comes from a single vineyard and is aged 18 months in large tanks. It is full and rich and shows aromas of cherry and plum with a hint of pepper with depth and power and has a smooth long finish.

2010 Les Hauts de Plaisance, Haut Medoc $14
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
A second wine of Château Pontoise Cabarrus, the Hauts de Plaisance is a great deal on a full Cabernet dominate Bordeaux that has more stuffing than most at its price. The wine has a complex aromatic nose of red fruit, berries, coffee, and spice with a delicious balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity this wine tastes of cherry and blackberry, and a hint of coffee and chocolate.

Picking Petit Chablis

This Saturday we’ll be traipsing the Italian countryside from Friuli to Sicily as well as Lazio, Maremma and Campania. It’s a lot of ground to cover, but the reward is five great wines to sample. It’s worth the journey.   Meander on in and join us.

2011 Principe Pallavicini Frascati   $12 
50% Malvasia (Bianca di Candia), 30% Malvasia del Lazio, 20% Trebbiano
A white wine from the overlooked area of Lazio, Frascati grows in the Alban hills south of Rome. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish herbal accents mingled with minerality and some gunflint, and underlying airiness.  On the palate it’s bright, with clean warm lemony fruit supported by clean sour acidity that flows into a clean tart finish.

2011 Purato Cataratto Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane $11
60% Catarratto and 40% Pinot Grigio.
From Sicily, this blend of Pinot Grigio with Cataratto a more local indigenous grape is made from organic grapes and is about as eco-friendly as they can get it (The label is made from recycled paper and vegetable ink, the bottle is made from 85% recycled glass and the cartons are made from recycled cardboard.) The wine has intense aromas of both citrus and tropical fruit.

2011 Bastianich Friulano Adriatico $18
100% (Tocai) Friulano
Friulano is an indigenous grape variety grown in Friuli for hundreds of years. The Bastianich is a classic Friulano, medium bodied with ripe, luscious pear flavors carried by a refreshing mineral flavor and zesty, mouthwatering acidity.

La Mozza, Morelolino di Scansamo I Perazzi $17
85% Morellino (the local name for Sangiovese in Maremma), 5% Syrah, 5% Alicante, 2% Colorino, 3% Ciliegiolo
I Perazzi, was created to be unlike most typical Morellino di Scansano. The blend, which includes Mediterranean varieties, is more expressive and better demonstrates the potential of Maremma’s terroir. I Perazzi is named after the pear like fruit that grow on the estate. The wines juicy dark fruit mingles with spice and licorice on the palate. The bright, ripe cherry and soft texture makes this a natural match with fresh Mediterranean flavors and dishes

2007 Terradora di Paolo, Taurasi $30
100% Aglianico
Aglianico is a native Italian varietal that is widely used in Campania. It is of extremely ancient origin and some experts argue that it was cultivated in the early period of Roman history and was introduced to Italy by the Greeks. Teurasi, like Barolo for Nebbiolo and Brunello for Sangiovesse, are the best expressions of the grape. The wine is aged in small French oak barrels for 18 months. After blending it matures in large oak barrels for 12 months and then in bottle for a further 8-12 months. The Teradora has a pronounced and complex bouquet with hints of cherry, fruits of the forest, spicy scents of violet and tobacco and a suggestion of minerals. Elegant, smooth, velvety and intense it displays characteristic hints of plums, black cherries, black pepper and tar. It is full bodied and austere on the palate with balanced tannins and acidity. It easily will continue to age and develop for more than a decade.

All our suppliers are slacking off or at the beach with a 5 day weekend — so we decided to put together this Saturdays tasting on our own. No theme, No pitch, just tasty good wine that we like and that we’d like to share with you. They are all very tasty and good values.

2012 Vieux Clocher Côtes du Rhône Blanc $10
Grenache Blanc, Clairette
A good floral nose of lilac and honeysuckle followed by a limy zest attack and a melon flavored finish. Forget about Chardonnay, there is a lot of other white wine out there.

2012 Château De Flaugergues Les Comtes Rosé $14
60% Grencache, 40% Syrah
The Flaugergues is a dry and herbal Rosé from the Languedoc. It’s summer, what more do you need?

2009 Pasquale Pelissero Crosa $12
Dolcetto d’ Alba
The Pelissero is a smooth and silky Dolcetto with lots of ripe dark fruit. It is a great BBQ wine or something to just sip in the shade. It’s on a little bit of a deal — Was $15 Now $12

2006 Tenuta Mormoraia Chianti Colli Senesi $17
Sangiovese
A nicely developed Sangioveseiwith notes of cherry, tobacco, and spice. This is a pretty serious wine for the money.

2008 Triennes, St. Auguste, Provence $18
Syrah , Cabernet, Merlot
This is the winery’s flagship wine from a selection of their best cuvées of Syrah, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine is a rich dark purple with bright ruby highlights, and has alluring aromas of ripe black cherries, nutmeg and clove. It is full and concentrated. Compare to any Washington $20 wine from the same grapes and see what you think — actually any $40 wine for that matter. It’s sustainably farmed so you can feel good about drinking too.

Some people have the luck. Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini owns not one but four estates in Tuscany each producing quality wine from their own sub regions. This Saturday we’ll be pouring some of these fine wines for three of the wineries. Ignazio Crivelli Visconti (Elisabetta’s nephew) will join us to tell us more about the wineries unique differences.

2011 Doga delle Clavule, Vermentino $12
This Vermentino grows in the soft hills of Maremma benefiting from the sea breezes and from the light reflected by the Tirreno sea. The wine has scents of wild flowers and a hint of yellow peach. The flavor is savory with good structure.

2009 Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico $14
90% Sangiovese, 5%Merlot, 5% Colorino
From Chianti Classico the wine ages in oak barrels for 12 months and 5 in the bottle. It has an intense bouquet with hints of soft black fruits with vanilla and cocoa. The palate is dry, firmly structured with a good harmony between fruit and tannins.

2010 Borgo Scopeto, Borgonero $20
60% Sangiovese, 20% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
The name Borgonero comes from a former farming settlement on the estate and the wine is a Supertuscan with great personality and elegance, selected from the best of the vineyards. The wine is aged for 18-24 months in durmast casks of 30 hl and 8 months in the bottle. It is intense with notes of leather and tobacco, full round fruit and velvety tannins.

2007 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino $36
Brunello di Montalcino is perhaps the finest region for growing Sangiovese and the price usually reflects it. The Caparzo is a refreshing exception. It matures for 36 months in Slavonia and French oak barrels of medium capacity 30-50 Hl. The bouquet is penetrating, very full and varied, reminiscent of wild berries. The flavors are dry, warm, full-bodied, harmonious, delicate and austere at the same time.

The Abbazia di Novacella, located in the northern-most winegrowing region on the southern side of the Alps was founded in 1142 by the Bishop of Brixen. The mineral-rich soils, the elevation (1,970 ft – 2,950 ft) and the cool climate are all factors which explain the intense aromas and flavors as well as fruity, mouth-watering acidity found in the white Valle Isarco valley grapes. The long drawn-out ripening period extending well into the autumn is crucial to the development of the reds. Stop by after work on Thursday and try these delicious wines.

2011 Sylvaner $18
An elegant, full-bodied white wine, greenish yellow in color; fresh fruit on the nose with a rich concentrated palate of honey and ripe apple, and hints of tropical fruit cut by refreshing acidity on the finish.

2011 Kerner $18
An aromatic white wine which has become a specialty of the Eisack Valley: pale straw yellow with green reflexes, apple and peach fruit on the nose with a hint of mango, ripe and full on the palate, its opulence cut by crisp acidity.

2011 Schiava (Edel Vernatch) $13
Bright pale ruby, fruity on the nose, with aromas reminiscent of summer fruits and cherry; succulent, gentle and fruity on the palate with soft, unobtrusive tannins and mild supple acidity.

2010 Lagrien $18
Intensely deep in color, almost black tinged with purple. Very open on the nose with concentrated aromas of violets, blackberries and black cherries all meshed with savory flavors, coffee and dark chocolate; supple youthful tannins and superb length.

This Saturday we’ll be featuring some new wines from Corsica that have recently arrived on these shores. Corsica became French in 1769, but still retains some Italian winemaking traditions. Nielluccio, the local version of Sangiovesse, is the common red grape, but it more Corse than Tuscan. We’ll also be trying two new vintages from James Calmes, an ambitious Oenologist from the Languedoc who excels at making fresh and distinct wine at very affordable price. And lastly we’ll be trying a classic Northern Rhone Syrah by Francois Tardy from the great 2010 vintage. Three winemakers, three regions, five great values — Come see what it’s all about.

2011 Jerome Calmes Les Perles Picpoul $9
Picpoul which translates as “lip stinger” is the Muscadet of the South of France. The Les Perles, made by Jérôme Calmes, a very innovative oenologist, has fresh and fine aromas of grapefruit, exotic fruit and lime flavors that wake up your mouth.

2012 Clos Venturi, Domaine Vico, Vin de Corse Rosé $15
70% Nielluccio (Sangiovese ) and 30% Grenache
Founded in 1901, Domaine Vico is one of the oldest estates in Corsica. Located in the middle of the island, the soils are a unique mix of sandstone, shale and schiste. The 2012 Vico Rosé sports a pretty nose of ripe strawberry and cantaloupe. The fruit is very ripe due and plump with plenty of minerality to lend balance.

2010 Jerome Calmes, Les Capucin, Coteaux du Languedoc $10
75% Syrah 25% Grenache
The vineyards for Les Capucin are situated at 200 meters in the foothills of the Caroux Mountains in Languedoc. During the nights of end of summer, the altitude and proximity of mountains give coolness as a contrast to the high temperatures of the day and schistous soil helps to avoid water stress. The place is perfect for Syrah, and makes the Capucin an outstanding value with lots of dark fruit, full mouth, fine tannins, fresh aromas, and good balance

2012 Clos Venturi, Domaine Vico, Vin de Corse Rouge $15
80% Nielluccio, 20% Syrah
The vines for the Rouge range from 25 to 75 years old. In Corsica the Nielluccio is a local relative of Sangiovesse, but take on a different expression on these Island soils. The Vico is a distinct robust red with aromas of licorice, pepper, and raspberry and a supple, fruity palate.

2010 Francois Tardy, Les Champs Fourne, Crozes Hermitage $24
Francois Tardy, an organic grape farmer, makes intense, slightly wild, authentic, delicious Syrah. This fine-value Crozes comes from his younger (5-10 year old) vines. Its bright, bold berry fruit mixes with game and spice. The wine has good acidity, modest tannins, almost no oak.

And don’t forget our Rosé Taste-Off between the US and France this Sunday from 11-5. We will be comparing and contrasting these two lovelies:

Representing France is:

2011 R. Dubois & Fils Rosé    ($10)
Pinot Noir
Sister and brother Béatrice and Raphaël Dubois have been running the estate together since 2006, winegrower in Burgundy for nine generations. Today, the young generation of the family shows an unusual collaboration between Béatrice, who, being a winemaker, takes care of the vinification with passion and Raphaël who is responsible for the vineyard and the wine marketing. The vineyard covers today 23.5 hectares. A succulent pink to hold us over until the boats come in. Was $15 now $10

Weighing in for the Americans we have:

2011 Sorter Vineyards North Valley Rosé    ($13)
80% Pinot Noir, 16% Chardonnay, 4% Gewürztraminer
A somewhat odd blend of grapes for a rosé, but it totally works. Nice strawberry flavors mixed with a bit of spiciness from the Gewürztraminer. Sustainable.

The wines of Austria are perfect for summer weather. The varietals have a personality all their own. The whites are crisp and lively and the reds fresh with clean pure fruit. This Saturday we’ll have a cross section of these wines (along with a fine Riesling from Alsace) open to taste. They’ll make you want to Yodel.

2011 Der Pollerhof, Gruner Veltliner 1 ltr $14
Erwin Poller, the current wine maker from this long standing Austrian wine making family is completely hands-on and involved in every aspect of the winemaking, to assure the purity and terroir driven quality of his wines. He uses sustainable methods in the vineyards and hand harvests. In the Cellar the grapes are hand selected three times before being gently pressed. Erwin has created his own yeast culture for use in his wines. The result is a refreshing, crisp and dry wine with wonderful aromas of apples and citrus fruit.

2011 Chateau D’Orschwihr, Riesling Bollenberg $16
Château d’Orschwihr dates back to 1049, but the current owners the Hartmann family didn’t acquire the Château until 1854. Their estate Riesling is a highly aromatic wine, grown on thin limestone soil on the Bollenberg in Alsace. 2011 was a vintage of high fruit and nice concentration. The bouquet is expressive with aromas of lime and grapefruit. On the palate it is well structured with an elegant backbone of ripe acidity and an almost luscious after taste.

2010 Andau, Zweiglet $16
Andau is a winery making wines from the town with the same name. Andau has more sunny days and warmer temperatures than anywhere else in Austria. Located on the Hungarian border, the climate is perfect for making very ripe and bold red and dessert wines. The Zweigelt is aged 12 months in used oak casks and is full-bodied, with hints of dark cherries, spice and chocolate.

2010 Weninger, Franz $17
Blaufranckisch /Merlot
The Weninger family owns vineyards in and around Horitschon in the Mittelburgenland, as well as two estates in Hungary. Since taking over the family estate in 1982, Franz Weninger has been a shining star among Austrian red wine producers. The vineyards are certified organic with an average of 40 year old vines, and are made bio-dynamically without modern oenological intervention. The wine has intense fruit aromas, of ripe red berries, and cherry along with a juicy body and an elegant, structured finish.

2008 Meinhard Forstreiter, St Laurent $27
The Forstreiter family has been making wine since 1868, but it has been the current owner and winemaker, Meinhard Forstreiter, who has brought the vineyard to a new level of quality and reputation. The vineyard is situated in Krems-Hollenburg in the Kremstal, along the right bank of the Danube River, across from the Wachau. There has been wine production in and around Hollenburg since the Roman Empire. The St Laurent is from 50 year old vines. The wine has aromas of dark berries, bitter chocolate, herbs with coffee roast aromas. Its body is well rounded with soft tannins, ripe fruit and beautifully balanced acidity.

The diversity and variety of Italian wine is almost limitless. Its indigenous varietals that grow only in small pockets produce fantastic wines that are unique to place if only it’s the only place they grow. This Saturday we have a fine line up of delights and surprises form these little gems that most of the world ignores. Come discover them for yourself.

2010 Vili Ligi, Birrarelle, Bianchello del Metauro $11
Biancame
Vili Ligi is a family run estate that helped rescue indigenous varietals of the Marche area. The wine is made from 45 year old vines of Biancame (Bianchello). Its particular aroma combination and the fresh notes together with its sapidity and smoothness make this wine a perfect choice for pasta and risotto dishes based on fish, and also with grilled and fried fish and seafood.

2010 Pietratorcia Vigne del Cuotto, Ischia Bianco $16
45% Biancolella, 45% Forastera, 5% Uva Rilla, 5% San Leonardo
Ischia is an island off the coast of Naples. The Pietratorcia vineyards lie just 50 meters from the Mediterranean, and 400 meters above the sea, providing a unique micro-climate that is both temperate and windy. The wine has intense floral aromas and a full body that is fresh on the palate with notes of apples, nectarines and almonds

2008 Palmoletino Scarafone, Rosso di Montecucco DOC $13
90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Montecucco is a Tuscan appellation that begins on the slopes of Monte Amiata (the volcano facing Montalcino) and extends almost all the way to the coast. The Scarafone has notes of violets, strawberry and cherry fruit followed by smooth light tannins.

2011 La Kiuva, Arnad Montjovet $22
75% Nebbiolo plus Gros Vien, Neyret, Cornalin and Fumin.
The DOC of Arnad-Montjovet is named for two small villages in the Vallee d’Aoste up in the Tyrolean Alps where the main grape grown is Picatendro, the local clone of Nebbiolo. La Kiuva is a tiny co-op of just 60 growers comprising 25 hectares of vines mostly organic. The high altitude and the addition of the other indigenous varietals make for a very pretty and elegant Nebbiolo with lilting cherry fruit, some spiciness and a smoky nuance.

2011 Caldaro Kaltern Lagrein $20
The Caldaro (Kellerei Kaltern) cooperative winery in the Alto Adige has 410 members, which own over 290 hectares of vineyards. Here Lagrein tends to produce full-bodied, purple-colored, boisterously fruity wine. After a gentle malo-lactic fermentation, the wines age for 12 months in barriques The wine is full and rich with notes of violets, blackberry, and mountain herbs along with mineraly tannins.

Round two our Sunday Sippers Series. An excuse to stop by and taste some new and interesting wines. Each Sunday we will have both a red and a white open. This Sunday we are starting with the:

2011 Esporao Alandra    $8
Antão Vaz, Perrum and Arinto
Fragrant and elegant with floral as well as lime and other citrus aromas and full dry fruit. A lovely little wine from Portugal.

2010 Cà Montebello Custiò    $15
Barbera and Croatina (Bonarda)
Floral and spicy notes, along with black cherry and plum set off this dry and highly structured red from Lombardy.