Saturday, April 7^th

2pm

Bodega Palacio de Los Frontaura Y Victoria is a family-owned winery located in the town of Villabuena del Puente, in the D.O. Toro in Spain. The estate specializes in Tinta de Toro, the native variety Tempranillo. They also have vineyards in Ribera del Duero. The wines are big and bold blending the tradition of the region with modern wine making techniques. This Saturday we’ll be pouring some of these full bodied wines. Lucia Ramos Pérez from the winery will be on hand to tell us more about them. Come give them a try.
 
2010 Vega Murillo, Toro Verdejo $12
Different sweet notes of ripe fruit can be distinguished of good intensity. More intense and complex notes appear which are identified with touches of papaya, cherimoya and quince pulp, lightly floral (roses). In the background, golden apple and pear. On the palate is dry but with great softness in the mouth. The finish is round and full-bodied.
 
2010 Vega Murillo, Tinto, Toro Tempranillo $12
Cherry and berry flavors are sweetened with notes of vanilla in this fresh, soft red. Light leaf and licorice flavors add interest, and crisp acidity keeps it all lively.
 
2010 Nexus Cosecha, Ribera del Duero Tempranillo $20
In appearance this wine is cherry red in color with medium high robe. On the nose the aromas are very intense, predominating aromatic qualities of balsamic and fruity notes with hints of menthol. On the palate is balanced, long and intense with pleasant and refine tannins which lend complexity to the wine. A fresh, intense and well-structured wine.
 
2007 Dominio de Valdelacasa, Toro Tempranillo $20
Intense red in color, attractive on the nose, it displays aromas of compoted fruits, fresh almonds, white flowers with mineral graphite notes. Fresh, expressive and harmonic on the palate, this wine reveals a perfectly mature and attuned tannin that reminds us of red fruits and licorice with the subtle coconut of its sojourn in the barrels.

This Saturday we have a great line up of Bordeaux that should not be missed. Some are from the big and early drinking 2009 vintage and some are from earlier vintages that are starting to stretch out a bit and strut their stuff. If you are a fan of leather, black current and pencil lead you won’t want to miss it.
 
2007 Château Moulin de Mallet Bordeaux $10
80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc
Family-owned since 1898, Moulin de Mallet sits high up on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Dordogne Valley facing the slopes of Saint Émillion. The estate has been modernized and the vineyard is run by Mr. Couderc and his viticulturist and oenologist son. The Mallet is vat-aged, and displays a whole array of fresh, red and black fruit aromas of black currant, blackberry and cherry.
 
2006 Château Mayne-Vieil, Fronsac $16
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
From 40 year old vines, this Fronsac spends 3 weeks on its skins before aging in tanks for 18 months.   The Mayne-Vieil is a very concentrated wine that showcases the fruit, with lots of earthy aromas, tart red fruits flavors and riper plum with a silky tannin finish.
 
2009 Château Sorbey, Medoc $16
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot.
Chateau Sorbey is the second label of Chateau Julien of the Haut-Medoc and Chateau Cap Leon in Listrac. The Sorbey is from the same vineyards as the wines of Chateau Julien. It has a rich ruby color with notes of red and black fruits and some spice from oak aging.
 
2009 Château Cap León Veyrin, Listrac-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois $30
55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot.
Chateau Cap Leon Veyrin with Chateau Julien and Chateau Bibian is owned by the Meyre family who have managed the estate since 1810. Today Alain and Maryse Meyre run the Château together with their children Julien and Nathalie. The wine comes from 30 year old vines and is aged in oak barrels for 12 months. The Cap León Veyrin has aromas of red fruit, cassis and blackberries with notes of vanilla and licorice. It tastes great now but should develop over the coming years.
 
2006 Château Mangot, St Émillion Grand Cru $30
85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc. 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
The Mangot estate covers some 37 hectares in a single stretch in Saint Etienne De Lisse. Its hillside terraces face due south and are sustainably farmed. The wine is aged in separate batches for 14 months in French oak, 40% of which is new. The Mangot has full aromas of cedar, minerals, licorice and an earthy note, followed by dry tannins and lots of dark fruit flavors that are concentrated, rounded and full on the palate.

Deliciousness at a Discount

Saturday, March 17^th

2pm

Saturday we’ll be tasting a whole line up of new wines that come to us at really great prices. It makes for an odd assortment, but if you don’t mind jumping around the world a bit, you’ll find something that fits your palette. All these wines drink much better than their current prices. Come take advantage it. We’ll be pouring:

2009 West Cape Chardonnay, Styx Gully              Was $18 now $10

A cooler climate, single-vineyard Chardonnay from Western Australia, the Styx Gully is a modest 12.5% alcohol, all French oak-aged with no malolactic fermentation. It has good citrus and mineral notes. 

2008 Pascal Granger Julienas                                  Was $17 now $13

This cru Beaujolais Gamay from old vine fruit is classic in style with dry cherry fruit, a medium body and a snappy acidity.

2008 Villa Tomino, Baglio Curatolo                       Was $16 now $13

The Baglio Curatolo is a single vineyard Nero d’Avola from an old Sicilian winery. The wine has a big bouquet of blackberry and dried plums along with chocolate and leather notes.

2001 Campo Nuble, Rioja Reserva                          Was $20 now $15

Tempranillo 90% and 10% Grenache

A well-aged Rioja that is still hanging around after most 2001s are gone. The wine has spicy and toasty aromas along with full cherry fruit on the palate and smooth finish.

2000 Tilenus, Bierzo, Pagos de Posada                 Was $30 now $18

The Tilenus wines are made from Mencia an indigenous grape from Bierzo in Spain.

The Pagos de Posada is made from old vines that undergo an extremely long maceration. It is built for the long haul and is drinking great. An elegant, vibrant wine made grown in a steep vineyard planted in decomposed slate (75-100 year old vines), this is a Burgundian-styled red offering notes of blackberries, raspberries, graphite, and minerals. Elegant, precise, and fragrant with medium body as well as beautifully pure fruit, it was aged completely in French oak casks, of which 70% were new. –WA

This Saturday we continue our tour of French Countryside, this time with Bobby Kacher. Bobby started importing wines from little known Southern French producers over 24 years ago. Today his portfolio is a benchmark of quality. Come sample a small selection of his selections.

2010 Domaine de Pouy, Ugni Blanc, Côtes du Gascogne $9
60% Ugni Blanc, 40% Colombard
Domaine de Pouy is located in the foothills of Pyrénées about two hours southwest of Bordeaux. The wines are made using skin contact and kept cold for four to six hours in order to extract the maximum aromatics and preserve bright fruit flavors. The 2010 Domaine de Pouy is bursting with tangy white grapefruit flavors, lime zest aromatics and a thrilling acid finish.

2009 Domaine des Hauts de Sanziers, Saumur Blanc $17
Chenin Blanc
Located south of Saumur, in the Loire, Hauts de Sanziers has belonged to the Tessier family for two centuries. The estate covers 85 hectares all worked organically. The Samur is a very full bodied Chenin with dry floral aromatics and good minerality.

2009 André Brunel, Côtes du Rhône $12
75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 15% Cinsault
Brunel is a noted Chateauneuf producer who pays great attention to his other Rhônes as well. The wine has a floral nose with notes of herbs and white pepper, the fruit is a luscious rich cherry.

2009 Sainte Eugenie Corbiers $12
40% old vine Carignan (65+ years old) with the rest being a blend of Grenache and Syrah (25-46 year old vines). The Eugenie is vinified for 9 month in barrels varietal by varietal, then blended placed in small casks for up to 15 months before bottling. The result is a marvelously complex and clean wine. The red fruits burst from the glass with mild hints of toast and spice that continue through the impeccably balanced finish.

2009  D’or et de Gueules Rouge, Les Cimels $15
Costières de Nimes
50% Syrah, 25% Carignan, 25% Grenache
D’Or (gold) et Gueules (red, in ancient French) is situated on the south/south-eastern slopes of the Costières de Nîmes. The soil is made up of cailloux –small stones or gravel like those in Chateau Neuf du Pape. The vineyards are organically farmed with limited yields. Les Cimels comes from the old Occitan language meaning fruit bouquet. Blended from Syrah, Carignan and Grenache at controlled yield levels, this wine has a deep purple color and offers notes of red fruit and sweet spice. It is supple and elegant.

Saturday afternoon we’re pouring a fine selection of wines from the diverse regions of the French countryside. We’ll have wines from the Loire, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Southwest regions of Gaillac and Jurançon. These wines not only represent geographic diversity, but they are each from small, independent growers who make distinct and interesting wines tucked away in the corners of the wine industry. The wines are delicious. Come try them.

2010 Christophe Thorigny, Vouvray Sec $14

Chenin Blanc

Christophe Thorigny farms 10.5 hectares in the village of Parcay-Meslay, in Vouvray. His family has owned vineyards in the village for four generations. Christophe farms according to the principle of “lutte raisonnée” or minimal intervention and keeps his yields low by severe pruning throughout the season.   It is a very complex and layered wine.

2009 Paul Garaudet, Bourgogne Blanc $17

Chardonnay

Paul Garaudet’s 10 hectares of vineyards sit in the heart of the Côte of Beaune, between Volnay and Meursault. Paul is the 4th generation to cultivate the family estate. His Bourgogne Blanc is crisp and clean with good supportive fruit. And it is an excellent value.

2010 Domaine Philémon, Gaillac Rouge, Croix d’Azal $10

Braucol

Domaine Philémon is located in the small village of Villeneuve-sur-Vere where the Vieules family has had a vineyard since 1804. Today they grow wheat, sunflowers and grapes in equal proportions. The wheat and sunflowers are grown organically and the vineyard is being certified
organic. The vines are traditional Gaillac grape varieties, with a good proportion of them being more than fifty years old. The Croix d’Azal is produced entirely from Braucol. It is a wonderful expression of this grape variety with all of its typical spiciness and woodsy floral aromas.

2004 Chateau Villars, Fronsac $20

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Villars has been owned by the Gaudrie family since the beginning of the 19th century. This hillside vineyard faces southwest with 35 years old vines. Harvesting is done in stages to allow each vineyard block to reach full maturity. After careful bunch selection the grapes are vinified in traditional cement vats and receive an extended maceration of up to 4 weeks.
Each vat is tasted throughout the month of November and a rigorous selection is made before the wine is put in barrels. The wine is aged in barrel, one third new for 10 to 14 months. It is a solid Bordeaux that is ready to drink at a great price.

2010 Camin Larredya , Jurançon, Costat Darrèr $20

Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng

Larredya is a small vineyard situated in the Chapelle de Rousse area of Jurançon. The majority of the vineyard, planted 40 years ago, is terraced on steep and curved slopes that form an amphitheater.  It is farmed organically. The Costat Darrèr is a blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng with the exact proportions varying according to the vintage. The wine is fermented in barrel and rests there for eight months “sur lie” The wine is off dry but not quite dessert, just succulent, with enough spice and mineral to keep things interesting.

This Saturday we’ll be taking a trip to Piedmonte the region of North Eastern Italy where Barolo and Barbaresco sit like the King and Queen of Italian wine making. Nebbiolo is the grape and in Barolo comes from select vineyards, and must age for a minimum of two years in barrel and six months in bottle before release. It can take several more years to reach its peak and last for several decades after that. It is a classic wine, and we’ll be tasting the 2007 from Mirafiore which is just hitting its stride. We’ll also be pouring the other major grapes of the region. Cortese, Barbera and Dolcetto have their own charm and distinct personalities. Come taste the terroir.   

2010 Araldica, Gavi, la Luciana $15

Made from the Cortese grape, the la Luciana is a fresh, lively dry white with lemon and grapefruit citrus flavor and a lurking minerality. 

2009 Vietti, Barbera d’Asti, Tre Vigne $18

The Tre Vigne from Vietti is a showcase Barbera with classic ripe red cherry aromas with hints of mineral and vanilla, good integration of oak, good complexity, soft tannins and a finish of more red cherries.

2009 Pecchenino, Dolcetto di Dogliani, San Luigi $16

Pecchenino is a 3rd generation, family run estate winery that specializes in Dolcetto. The San Luigi showcases plump, dark, juicy fruit with an underlying structure and long finish.

2009 Damilano, Nebbiolo, Marghe $15

Not your typical entry level Nebbiolo, the Damilano ages for 16 months in small barrels (40% new, 60% second or third use French oak) The wine has aromas of blueberry, cherry and strawberry with hints of spice, cinnamon, vanilla and pepper. 

2007 Casa E di Mirafiore, Barolo $36

Barolo is the expression of everything Nebbiolo can be. The Mirafiore is from a great year and at a great price. “The 2007 Barolo is a sexy, radiant wine that captures the essence of the year. Soft and inviting through to the finish, the Barolo possesses tremendous class and balance. Succulent red cherries, licorice, rose petals and spices round out the supple finish. This is another overachieving wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.” –Wine Advocate 92