February 2022 newsletter

No tastings or Classes in February

We hope to resume in store tastings in March.

FEBRUARY SPECIAL OFFERS

The white wines of Etna are perfect winter whites that will pair with anything but stew and steak.
2019 Terra Costantino ‘deAetna’ Etna Bianco Sicily, Italy- “Made with an organic blend of 80% Carricante, 15% Catarratto and 5% Minnella, the Terra Costantino 2019 Etna Bianco de Aetna shows a lot of richness and fruit concentration. That extra density is a characteristic of this vintage and is probably more evident at the lower elevations of Etna, or at 450 to 550 meters above sea level where the estate’s 10-hectare vineyard is positioned. These conditions are especially suited to this wine that boasts plenty of orchard fruit and tropical intensity, with a smooth, mid-weight palate. Production is 15,000 bottles.” (WA 10/21)
  Regular price: $27.99, On sale in February: $21.99 (no further discounts)

If you know a bit about Lismore you know that Samantha O’Keefe lost her home and winery to a wildfire in 2019. We loved Lismore wines before the loss and we love them now as she is in the process of rebuilding her life and winery. If you are a fan of white Burgundy, this is for you.
2020 Lismore Reserve Chardonnay Greyton, South Africa - “The 2020 Chardonnay Reserve Estate is the only Reserve wine whose fruit survived the wildfire in 2018. It has a glorious bouquet that is Premier Cru Burgundy in quality, featuring wonderful, brilliantly delineated scents of citrus lemon and orange blossom and hints of black currant leaf. The palate is extremely well balanced, displaying wonderful poise allied with impressive concentration. There’s real depth and substance on the finish (where others have lacked in this vintage). An outstanding, world-class Chardonnay.” (Vinous 11/21)
  Regular price: $49.99, On sale in February: $39.99 (no further discounts)

Two years ago in February of 2020, just before the pandemic pushed us to lock down, we offered this Pauillac. We recently purchased the last inventory of this vintage and are happy to offer it again, now with 2 years of additional bottle age.
2014 Dauprat, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France – The village of Pauillac is the epicenter of Bordeaux (think Mouton and Lafite Rothschild). The gravely soil near the river Gironde is the perfect place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. Here is a review: From a very good vintage, this is a wine with aging potential that shines now with a proper 2 hour decant. Aromatic with notes of cassis, ripe black currants with a touch of graphite and cedar plank. Medium bodied but plush, it finishes balanced fine grained tannins. A good example of the appellation.                          Regular price: $35.99, On sale in February: $28.99 (no further discounts)

NEW ARRIVALS

2018 Rene Bouvier Fixin Crais de Chene Cote de Nuits, France- Bernard Bouvier took over his father’s 10 ha domaine in 1992 and it has now been expanded to 17 ha covering 20 some different appellations.  Aromas of candied red currents with dried smoky notes.  Nicely textured, it is elegant and fresh with a pleasing bit of ripeness and chicken thigh friendly acidity. A yeoman red Burgundy from an underappreciated appellation in the northern Cote de Nuits. $65.99

A winter weight gem from the Faraud sisters, (Delphine, Roseline and Cendrine) perfect with braised meats on the coldest February evening!
2018 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas Rhone, France- “Dark shimmering red. Highly expressive red berry and cherry preserve aromas are complemented by suggestions of _ garrigue_, smoked meat and candied flowers. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering primary black raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that show superb depth and focus. Gently gripping tannins build slowly on the impressively long, energetic finish, which leaves behind intense floral and red berry notes.” (Vinous 2/20) $42.99

Valente represents an effort to promote indigenous Tuscan varieties – “vitigni autoctoni” – native vines.
2018 Podere Il Castellaccio ‘Valente’ Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy – “The 2018 Valente is a blend of Sangiovese, Foglia Tonda and Pugnitello, all indigenous varieties. Bold and racy in the glass, with terrific energy as well as depth, the Valente is a deeply intriguing wine. Blood orange, rose petal and mint develop in the glass, adding brightness as well as complexity. I would give the 2018 a year or two to soften. There is so much to explore.” (Vinous, Galloni 1/21) $19.99

The perfect Super bowl wine! Dry, 11.5% ABV, lightly sparkling, and the perfect foil for cheese, spicy meatballs, charcuterie, etc.
2018 Cantina della Volta Rimosso Lambrusco di Sorbara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy – “Aromas of wild red berry, violet and a yeasty whiff of bread dough form the nose on this lightly sparkling wine while the crisp dry palate offers strawberry, cherry and a hint of citrus alongside racy acidity. Made with secondary fermentation carried out in the bottle, the yeasts remain on the bottom, giving it a cloudy appearance but the most savory glass is the last.’ (WE) $27.99

Our tiny allocation of Conterno has arrived.  We have a small amount of his Barolo’s as well.
2019 Giacomo Conterno Vigna Francia Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy – “The 2019 Barbera d’Alba Vigna Francia marries elegance, power and energy. Inky blue/purplish fruit, menthol, licorice and sage are some of the nuances that build as this creamy, textured Barbera slowly opens in the glass. The Francia is wonderfully somber and mysterious, with striking shades of dimension that reveal themselves over time. The 2019 was just bottled, but its pedigree is evident.” (Vinous, Galloni 1/22)  $82.99

The GREEN Spot

As you shop in the store you may see some wines displaying a green price sticker. This is our way of letting you know that the wine is organic, biodynamic, sustainable or natural. This is an ongoing process as we research each and every wine in the shop. Verbiage on the bottle may tell you more or you may ask us for further clarification.
We are organized by place, not attribute, but as the wine world has made a healthy move toward better farming practices we needed to find a quick way to identify organic, biodynamic, sustainable and natural wines

MONTHLY SPECIALS