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News > Hot Buys: Red |
2004 Chateau Villars Fronsac
Trapped at home under 7 inches of snow, a pot roast slowly bubbling to perfection in the oven, I decided to pop open a bottle of this wine to chase away the winter chill. The berry, earth and tobacco inflected nose rose out of the glass to greet me like a dear old friend I hadn't seen in years. I didn't realize how much I've missed good, value-oriented Bordeaux. Villars is primarily Merlot, with a good lug of Cab Franc, bolstered by a smidge of Cab Sauv. Now before you turn up your nose at the “M-word”, bear in mind that this is fruit grown on sandy clay and limestone – earthy, dusty, rocky, pierced through and through with elements of the land from whence it came. Despite its fine-grained tannins, left on the kitchen counter overnight it was just as satisfying as the first night, if not more. At this price, we can all afford to stash away some bottles for any possible snowstorms for the next 10 years!
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2009 Marchesato degli Aleramici Rosso di Montalcino
Reg. $23.99 NOW $19.99
More and more, I find myself venturing back to an old friend: Sangiovese. Its bright red-purple berry and cherry fruit, gently seasoned with wood, is such a perfect addition to many winter meals. Rosso di Montalcino is, of course, the generally earlier-drinking younger sibling to the well-known Brunello. Marchesato's 2009 is like a young colt – sleek, defined, well-structured, racy and a little wild.
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2009 Sandrone Dolcetto d'Alba
Reg. $19.99 NOW $16.99
From famed producer Luciano Sandrone comes this muscular, meaty Dolcetto. Dark, brooding black and purple fruit, reminiscent of boysenberry and cassis, fills the mouth, shot through by mineral and graphite. The richness builds on the palate slowly, following the path laid out by the wine's sturdy spine of tannin and acidity. Balanced and lively, this offering can be enjoyed now, yet will live on in your cellar for many years to come.
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Domaine Rochette 2010 Morgon 'Les Micouds'
Reg. $19.99 Now $16.99
How often do you have the chance to drink wine made from 100-year-old vines? Never, you say? Then you need to grab a bottle of this one today. The vineyard is situated just northeast of the famed "Côte de Py", in Beaujolais' renowned Morgon cru. Gnarled and ancient centenarian Gamay vines reach deep into the mineral-rich substrate. Stored in their fruit is the echo of their struggle: classic notes of pie cherry and red currant, laced with iron and stone, showing layers of smoky meat, juniper and black pepper.
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Lobo Hills 2009 “Right Bank Blend”
Reg.$18.99 Now $15.99
I am really excited to feature a brand new bottling from our friend, Tony Dollar. For much of the past year, we’ve been featuring Tony’s other wines (Cab, Riesling, Sauv Blanc). Now, he’s brought out a Bordeaux-style blend, his largest production yet at 400 cases. The name is a reference to the Right Bank of Bordeaux, whose wines are primarily Merlot-based. Tony’s blend is 69% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It’s beautifully layered and complex. While Merlot leads the way, it’s the other varieties that are the real “meat-n-taters”. Merlot’s ripe softness is complemented and enhanced by the Cabernet. Petit Verdot plays the part of the anchor, its dark and brooding fruit being the perfect counterpart to Cab Franc’s hightoned and gently leafy expression.
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Hot Buys: White |
2009 Domaine Bourillon-Dorléans Vouvray Sec “La Coulée d'Argent”
Reg. $20.99 NOW $17.99
There are two reasons I picked this wine. First, it's fantastic. Intense, yet refined. Racy, yet gentle. Classic Chenin pear fruit, with a touch of green apple, with wisps of honey, stone and spring rain. I fell in love with it at first sip, immediately choosing it as my final February Hot Buy. THEN came the second reason: a “scratch'n'sniff” label! Yes, you read that right. This is the first wine I've ever come across where you can scratch the label and smell what the soil is like where the vines are grown. Thankfully, I smelled and tasted the wine before I got to the label, so I wasn't influenced by it. But in hindsight (hindsmell?), you can really get a sense of what elements the ground brings to the finished wine. Fascinating!
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2010 André Neveu Sancerre Silex “Les Grands Fricambaults”
Reg. $24.99 NOW $21.99
This is a bottling that is often found on our shelves. I chose to offer it as a Hot Buy as a special Valentine's Day treat. The vines for this particular wine are grown entirely on “silex”, a soil type often described as “flint”, yet which is actually composed of finely ground hard rocks and silicates. It doesn't hold water very well, forcing the vines' roots to delve deep into the substrate. And in the world of wine, stressed vines yield dynamic flavors and aromas. This 2010 is beautifully balanced, with lemon, grapefruit, grass and mineral notes. It's perfect for oysters, scallops, delicate white fish, goat's milk cheeses and vegetables.
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2010 Domaine d'Elise Chablis
Reg. $20.99 NOW $17.99
2010 is proving to be a banner year for Northern European whites. Temperatures were just warm enough to ripen fruit, yet cool enough to retain loads of acidity – just what I love in great Chablis. Owner/winemaker Frédéric Prain has 13 hectares of vineyard land in one parcel, just above the renowned Côtes de Lechet. After initial and malolactic fermentations, the wine is left to age on its lees in steel-lined concrete vats for 10 months before being fined and bottled. The nose and the palate of this wine are seemlessly connected to one another – each showing crisp apple and lemon notes, and dusty, chalky hints of soil. I was particularly impressed by its texture and ample mid-palate weight. Characteristic briny, oyster shell minerality coats the tongue, dancing along with intense, focused acidity.
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2010 Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko
Reg. $23.99 NOW $20.99
Throughout the past year, I've occasionally gone out on a limb by introducing you to new and unique wines you might not have otherwise tried. This time, I'm perched on the very end of that limb, with a big, long stick, pointing at the next tree over! The grape here is Assyrtiko, native to the tiny Aegean island of Santorini – the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. 3600 years ago, what was a single island exploded with great fury, depositing ash and pumice as far as Crete, with a resulting tsunami that reached the shores of Egypt. It is said the demise of the advanced Minoan civilization began because of it. That disaster left a group of tiny islands around a central caldera, which we see today. Grown in tiny bushes along rocky, volcanic bluffs, the vines are saturated with echoes of their soil. Bountiful acidity is joined by juicy, lemon-like fruit – perfect for spot prawns, Dungeness crab, and bivalves of all kinds.
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Thomas Leithner NV Gruner Veltliner
Reg. $13.99 Now $11.99
Thomas Leithner's family has been growing grapes for generations. In fact, his great-grandfather was Dr. Fritz Zweigelt, who created the eponymous hybrid red variety so popular today. The winery is located in Langenlois, a small town in Austria's Kamptal region. The fruit is all farmed sustainably. The wine itself is brisk, fresh and lightly lemon-tinged. Perfect for crab, delicate white fish, oysters, or simply as an aperitif.
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