02/01/07
We received an enthusiastic response from customers who
read last week’s newsletter about ‘house wines’.
For those who missed the previous newsletter, last week we
featured “wines that don’t demand too much attention, don’t cost too much, yet
are versatile and flavorful. They are cheap enough to buy by the case, but good
enough to drink on a regular basis.”
This week we propose a handful of red wines that, while
not all under $10, are well trusted customer favorites
that also merit a spot in your cellar, pantry, kitchen cupboard or wherever you
store wine (cardboard box in the hall closet?).
Last week I neglected to remind you that, as always, any
full case of wine (12 bottles, mix and match…half bottles and close outs count
too!) qualifies for a 10% discount off regular prices.
Check out the following selections for some of our
‘greatest hits’ and customer favorites.
Hoya de
Cadenas Reserva 2002 $9.99 Rare indeed are mature wines under $10. This all Tempranillo wine from D.O. Utiel-Requeña
sees 18 months of barrel age prior to bottling. Dark color, rich fruit and
tannic structure combine to create this great bargain.
Primi
Tinto 2004 $9.99 Around here we
refer to this as ‘paella wine’. Simple, straightforward, young red made in D.O.C.
Rioja from Tempranillo grapes.
Bright, lively and youthful
but never overpowering.
Los
Bayos Roble 2004 $10.99 This wine has been a real
crowd pleaser for those looking beyond the typical regions and styles from
Altos de
la Hoya 2005 $10.99 Monastrell grape
wines from D.O. Jumilla have been extremely popular lately. The ripe,
concentrated fruit and full-bodied texture are perfect for spicy, bold flavored
meals (Mexican food fits in perfectly here). This wine was one of the firat to
gain popularity in this country and it is still one of the best of the young
wines from Jumilla.
Finca
Antigua Tempranillo 2004 $11.99 This
wine comes from D.O. La Mancha in
02/08/07
Do you already have plans for Valentine’s Day? If so, I
congratulate you, since most of us are too busy to plan very far in advance for
this mid-week holiday that, unfortunately, does not come with any official time
off from work.
If, on the other hand, you are searching for a sincere and
unique way to express your love (or affection, if ‘love’ is too strong a word)
for that special someone in your life, please consider some of the following
options for Valentine’s Day wines that will convey your feelings in the nicest
way.
If you want to give wine on Valentine’s Day you have a few
basic options, from the bright and bubbly to the dark and mysterious. Depending
on your personal taste, and the nature of your relationship, certain wines may
be more appropriate than others.
A bottle of cava (Spanish
sparkling wine) can be the starting point for a fun night on the town. Toast your relationship with two flutes of a
bright, refreshing cava before
setting out for a concert, restaurant or night club. When you finally get back home the remainder
of the bottle will be waiting for you (hopefully you weren’t too smitten to
remember to leave the bottle in the fridge before you went out).
For those who prefer to reaffirm their love in the comfort
of home, please consider an elegant bottle of mature Spanish red wine as the
perfect central element of a quiet dinner for two. No need to cook up a feast. Just serve some
simple yet elegant cured Serrano ham, aged sheep milk cheese and a pretty
composed salad. Accompany the food with a Gran
Reserva Rioja or other similarly styled wine. Savor the delicious flavors
and the companionship. Let the difficulties of day to day living slip away
while you remind yourself of why the two of you are so perfect for each other.
Here are some suggestions for your consideration:
Mont
Ferrant Brut Rosado Cava $14.99 It’s pink and bubbly, which may
be all you need for the occasion, but this is also a deliciously berry scented
yet still dry and refreshing cava
that not only looks great in the glass but also offers up classic cava aroma and flavor at a reasonable
price.
Can
Vendrell Brut Reserva Cava $17.99 Classic blend of traditional cava grapes (Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo), from organic vineyards, with
extended ageing on the lees and low dosage.
A dry wine with great depth and nuance that is rich enough to serve with food,
but dry enough to serve as a cocktail.
Privat
Laietà Brut Cava $29.99 A different style of Cava made from 100% Chardonnay
grapes. Fine bubbles, creamy texture and yeasty bread dough aroma. The fruit
character is delicate and dry. The unique bottle shape adds visual impact to
the gift.
Valduero
Gran Reserva 1995 $49.99 Only a few winemakers in
D.O. Ribera del Duero take the time to produce Gran Reserva wines. This rare example is from a superlative
vintage. The local Tinto Fino grape (Tempranillo by another name), once
fermented, is aged for three years in oak barrels before an additional long
term slumber in the bottle before release. Inky dark garnet
color with a hint of amber at the rim. Lightly
oxidized dark berry fruit character with added complexity from the once
formidable but now quite mellow tannins.
Rioja
Alta Gran Reserva 904 1995 $56.00 One of our most traditional
D.O.C. Rioja wines proves that some things do get better with age The blend is mostly Tempranillo with small additions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Brick
red color, tannic oak aroma and gentle red berry fruit character are what one
looks for in a mature wine from this region. This wine balances all of these
elements in an elegant medium-bodied frame.
Viña
Valoria 1973 $118.00 According to the winemakers, this D.O.C. Rioja wine
was discovered in a bricked up section of the cellar, with nothing other than
the vintage date to tell the story of its origins. The consejo
regulador (regulatory council) of D.O.C. Rioja would not allow the producers
to label the wine as Gran Reserva, but
in the glass this wine has all the elements one looks for in a mature wine from
this region. While not inexpensive, this is a personal favorite that I
encourage you to try at the appropriate moment, like now.
02/16/07
We are taking a break from our promotion of bargain wines
to update you on some of our recent acquisitions in the higher price bracket.
Some of these wines are extremely limited in quantity and I would be remiss in
my duties if I were not to alert you to the arrival of these rarities.
We continue to bring in a wide range of value priced
wines, but at the same time we are also quite proud of our collection of unique
wines at all price ranges. Even our more
expensive brands compare favorably in price to equivalent quality wines from
other countries, so please consider the following wines in context and I am
confident that you will find excellent value at all price levels.
Here’s what’s new this week:
Clos Severi Crianza 2002 $25.99 Inky dark color, ripe berry aroma and gravelly minerality
are typical of the best wines from D.O.Q. Priorat. This wine has all of the
above in abundance. The Wine Advocate rated the wine at 91 Points saying
“…raspberry and cherry fruit with hints if blueberries, acacia flowers, and
crushed rocks in the background.” This is one of the best of the recent spate
of under $30 wines from D.O.Q. Priorat.
Las Gravas 2001
$30.99 Bodegas Julia Roch e Hijos is one of the
better D.O. Jumilla wineries. Using
the fruit of the revived old-vine Monastrell (known in
Evel Grande Escolha $30.99 In 1996, Real Companhia Velha
founded its’ Fine Wine Division as an independent entity within the company,
focused on the production of high quality Portuguese table wines. Evel Grande
Escolha is the flagship wine, produced from the best
Pago de
Carraovejas Crianza 2004 $32.99 This dark,
opulent blend of 85% Tinto Fino
(Tempranillo), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
and 5% Merlot is earthy yet elegant.
The grapes are grown in a small estate vineyard located in the heart of D.O.
Ribera del Duero near the famous castle in Peñafiel.
Most of this wine is served as the house red at Mesón José María in
Mas
Doix Salanques 2004 $38.99 When tasting Salanques, you'd never know that it is a
‘second label’ to Mas Doix, one of the best D.O.Q. Priorat wines. Made from a
blend of 60% Garnacha, 20% Cariñena and a 20% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, its deep purple color speaks to
how highly concentrated and extracted this wine is, and the floral aromas,
black fruit and chalky minerality speak to the pedigree of the vineyards. On
the palate, the wine is completely balanced, with full body, good acid, ripe
tannins, and a velvety texture.
Aalto PS 2003 $109.00 The third vintage of this D.O. Ribera del Duero wine, made by the legendary Mariano Garcia
(former winemaker for Vega Sicilia) is now available in limited quantity (we
got 6 bottles). Just over
1,000 cases of 2003 Aalto PS were made from some of the best parcels of Tinto Fino in the region. Aged in French
oak for 32 months, this deeply colored wine was bottled unfiltered in July
2006. Dark and concentrated, yet with great balance and elegance, this is a
powerful wine that will age well for years to come.
02/23/07
As promised last week, we are paying special attention to
the ‘value priced’ end of the wine spectrum. I’ve been calling these bargains
‘house wines’, and a few weeks back I described them as “wines that don’t
demand too much attention, don’t cost too much, yet are versatile and
flavorful. They are cheap enough to buy by the case, but good enough to drink
on a regular basis.” They are also typical of the wines served by the glass in
restaurants.
What I am emphasizing this week is the added value that
comes from buying these wines in bulk. Full 12 bottle cases of wines are always
sold at a 10% discount here, whether you buy 12 bottles of the same wine or a
case of mix and match bottles.
This week we are trying something new. We have created a
special section of youthful, traditionally styled wines (like what you would
get in a typical Spanish bar) that retail for $6.99. Individually these wines are already
inexpensive. The standard 10% discount for full case purchases would normally
bring the price down to $6.30 per bottle. With these particular wines we will offer a
special discounted price of $5.99 per bottle with 12 bottle purchase.
The wines this week are all Spanish reds. If the concept
proves popular we may extend it to whites and rosados as well as wines from
Here are our initial selections:
Castillo de Daroca
2005 $6.99 From
the same D.O. Calatayud region winemakers who bring you Viña Alarba comes this
blend of mostly Garnacha with a bit
of Syrah in the mix. Youthful red berry fruit character, with some added color and structure
from the Syrah.
Albet i Noya Tempranillo Clàssic 2002 $6.99 Dry,
earthy Tempranillo from D.O. Penedès
in Catalunya. Toasted
oak barrel aroma and tannin with underlying dried cherry fruit character.
Made from organic grapes.
Viñas
Señorio de Balboa 2003 $6.99 This Tempranillo is perfect for a backyard barbecue. The ripe fruit character is balanced by
lightly tannic oak to firm up the structure of the wine and give it enough
oomph to stand up to grilled meats and other charred delights.
Reverendo Tinto 2004 $6.99 Mostly Tempranillo with
a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Typical D.O. Navarra style. Lean and savory
with tangy pie cherry fruit character, well integrated tannins and background
earthiness.