July 16, 2007

July Wine Tasting

Our July wine tasting is this Friday - July 20th.

3:30 - 7:30pm

We'll be featuring wines from SOPO - one of Maine's best distributors. The owners, Cat Oster and Doug Watts will be on hand!

Wine Tasting
Friday, July 20th
3:30-7:30pm
Freeport Cheese & Wine

Mitolo G.A.M. Shiraz - Parker 95 points!

I just found 3 cases of a rare wine at one of the distributors!

Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. 2005 (Australia) $49.99

Each December, a handful (a few cases of each) of these excellent and rare Mitolo wines arrive in Maine - the wines are:

  • Mitolo G.A.M.
  • Mitolo Savitar
  • Mitolo Serpico

Looking through the distributors inventory, I noticed the Mitolo G.A.M. was still available.

Lo' and behold, it arrived after December and no one at the distributor sold much of it. Four cases came into Maine. When it is gone, we'll have to wait for the 2006 vintage to arrive late this year.

This is a classic McLaren Vale single vineyard Shiraz.

Deep, dark color (dark purple). Aromas of dark berries (especially blueberries and blackberries), dark cherries, black plums, toast, anise (licorice), pepper and subtle oak.

It's rich and full-bodied, with both elegance and boldness! Flavors of dark cherries, blackberries, blueberries, baking spices, Provencal herbs and mocha. Nice tannic and acidic structure to it. This wine has layers and layers of complexity.

Family-owned and operated winery. Frank Mitolo founded the winery. This Italian-Australian has named this wine after his kids - G.A.M. = Gemma, Alexanber and Franco. "Honor nostrorum liverorum pulchrorum." "In honor of our lineage."

World-famous and respected Ben Glaetzer joined Mitolo as the winemaker in 2001, adding his legendary winemaking skills to Frank Mitolo's vineyard skills.

The grapes come from the Chinese Block vineyard in the Willunga District at the Southern End of the McLaren Vale.

All aging of the wine happens in hand-picked, fine grain French oak barrels. 70% of the wine is aged in new oak barrels in a combination of 80% French and 20% French coopered (the French cut the oak trees along a different grain than the Americans) American oak. 30% is aged in a combination of 1-2 year-old French and American oak (oak loses 80% of its chemical compounds the first time it is used). All of it is aged for 16 months in oak and then blended.

This should age well for up to 8-10 years. It's drinking well now.

Food pairing - Drinks BEAUTIFULLY without food! This also has plenty of "oomph" to stand up to a steak, beef, lamb, etc.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 95 Points

Robert Parker calls this a "Tour de Force of winemaking!"

Limited Quanities - 2 Great wines!

Hello,

I just bought the last 2 cases of one wine and one of the only 3 cases of another wine that will ever come into Maine.

2 cases left! (that's 24 bottles)
Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge Shiraz 2005 (Australia) $22.99 - This is a big, beautiful Barossa Shiraz!

Thorn-Clarke is a wonderful winery in Australia's Barossa Valley. Family-owned, 6 generations. Beautiful wines! Full-bodied with huge flavors & aromas & it is elegant! Huge hit at our May tasting! Aromas & flavors of plums, cinnamon, dark chocolate, spicy oak, berry fruit & more!

Just a mouthful of wine! Velvety, creamy & rich feel. Long finish. Soft, smooth tannins. Will age well for 7-10 years - and it drinks great right now! Aged 12-18 months in new & old oak barrels (40% new, French & American). Food pairing - steaks, lamb, big meals. Drinks GREAT on its own! Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 92 Points; Wine Spectator, 92 points, "SMART BUY"

1 case available! (that's 12 bottles)

Rosenblum Cellars Rockpile Zinfandel 2005 (California) $37.99 - Only 3 cases of this wine came into Maine. I bought one of the three.

It's a tightly allocated wine (that means each state only gets a certain amount of it) - with lots of demand for it! Each year, this wine gets great reviews from Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer and other reviewers. The 2005 hasn't been reviewed, yet. By the time it is reviewed - it will be gone.

This is from a small hillside vineyard of old vine Zinfandel in the Dry Creek Valley - the Rockpile Road Vineyard. Rosenblum Cellars is a top producer of California Zinfandel.

Aromas of rich dark fruit, black cherries, cooked dark berries, licorice, vanilla, and pepper. Flavors of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, baking spices and more. This is big and bold. Long finish with lots of depth.

July 2, 2007

4th of July 6-pack/12-pack

The 4th of July is just days away - so we've put together a wonderful summertime 6-pack and 12-pack of some new vintages of old favorites and several wines that are BRAND NEW to Maine!

The Theme - great drinking wines for getting together with friends!

ALL of these wines are in-stock TODAY! We can load you up!!!

If you want to substitute a wine, or you want to mix-and-match and put together your own assortment, just give us a call or e-mail us your list! We're happy to do as you want! Substitute freely!*

IF you only want one or 2 or any number of these wines, give us a call or e-mail back!

We're happy to do whatever you want!

The 6-pack

Regularly $70.94 Sale Price $61.94 Take 5% off the Sale Price, your price $58.84!

That's a savings of $2/bottle and brings the average cost under $10 a bottle!

The Whites:

Benoit Gautier Vouvray 2004 (Loire, France) Reg. $17.99 Sale $13.99 - Wonderful wine from the Loire Valley. Aromas of limes, lemons, minerals and almonds. Flavors of fresh lemons, quince, almonds and minerals. Dry. Light-to-medium bodied. The grapes are all hand-picked on successive passes through the vineyards to get the best grapes possible. Benoit Gautier owns 15 hectares of vineyards. Seven generations of Gautiers have made wine here - Benoit took over in 1981. The wines are fermented and aged in troglodytic caves, which were dug into the chalky limestone banks of the Loire during the mining era in the Renaissance. Grapes were first planted at the monastery at Marmoutier in 372 AD - and Chenin Blanc has been a mainstay of the Loire Valley ever since! Food pairing - seafood, pasta dishes with a lemon sauce, chicken. Drinks well on its own. Wine Spectator, 89 points

Oveja Negra Chardonnay-Viognier 2006 (Chile) Reg. $9.99 Sale $8.99 - This is YUMMY!!! Huge hit at a tasting! Bright, fresh yellow stone (peach & apricot) fruit aromas. Rich, soft & mouthfilling. Crisp, well-balanced acidity that brings this alive! Flavors of tropical fruits (melon & pineapple), peaches, Granny Smith apples. 85% Chardonnay & 15% Viognier. The Viognier & Chardonnay are fermented separately, the Viognier on lees - adding richness to the wine. Food pairing - fresh scallops, shrimp, lighter fish, mussels in Thai coconut curry sauce, ham, roasted chicken, cream soups such as potato-and-leek, crab cakes.

The Rosé:

VI Nulles Rosat 2005 (Spain) Reg. $9.99 Sale $6.99 - A huge hit at March's wine tasting. Since we sold out we bought more! Aromas of strawberries and other red berries. Not as floral as many Provencial rosés are. This is weightier, and a lot darker! Dry, but not super dry. Nice red berry flavors. Blend of 50/50 Merlot and Tempranillo (called Ull de Liebre in Tarragona). Like many Italian rosés, this Spanish rosé lasts longer than French rosés - you can safely drink 2005 Spanish rosés well into 2007 (as we are doing with this wine!). Food Pairing - traditional fare such as paella, grilled or roasted meats, salmon, etc. Pair with Fondue cheeses. Drinks nicely on its own.

The Reds:

Castano Monastrell (Yecla, Spain) $9.99 Sale $8.99 -This is a GREAT value! Deep, dark purple color. Aromas of dark berries, blueberries, stewed plums and more. Loaded with similar flavors. This is just fun to drink! This wine is from the "lost" region of Yecla, in Southwestern Spain. Old, ungrafted vines. Family-owned winery. 100% Monastrell (the grape the French call Mourvedre). Stainless steel and oak fermentation for 6-8 months before bottling. Food pairing - grilled meats, lamb, beef, steak, etc. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 90 Points

Thorn-Clarke Milton Park Shiraz 2006 (Barossa Valley, Australia) $12.99 - The 2005 vintage sold-out nationally as soon as Robert Parker dropped 90 points on it! The 2006 vintage just arrived in Maine. The 2006 is every bit as good as the 2005! Loads of dark berry and black cherry fruit with hints of licorice and oak in the aromas and flavors...these are rich, lush, full-bodied wines that should be drunk now. It's a blend of 86.5% Shiraz, 6% Nebbiolo, 4.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Food pairing - great for a day grilling! Drinks well on its own!

Oveja Negra Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2005 (Central Valley, Chile) $9.99- We love this little "Black Sheep!" Aromas of dark berries, plums, vanilla and toasty oak. Flavors of dark fruit, black cherries, smoky meat and toasty oak. Round and smooth in the mouth. Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah. Hand-picked grapes. Grapes are destemmed before fermenting. Food pairing - hearty meals, roasted or grilled meats, sausages, etc. Great sipping on its own!.

The 12-pack

Add the 6-pack Reg. Price of $70.94 to these 6 bottles & the Reg. Price is $153.88. The sale price is $137.88. With the 10% case discount, your price is $124.09!

Just barely over $10 a bottle - what a value! These are wonderful wines!

The Whites:

Pierre-Luc Bouchaud Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2005 (Loire, France) Reg. $12.99 Sale $10.99 - Fabulous wine! We had this with a crabmeat quiche and it just rocked! From one of our favorite importers, Steven Berardi! Dry, crisp wine - perfect shellfish wine - oysters, mussels, etc. Has wonderful minerals on the finish. Also blessed with nice citrus and tropical fruit halfway through your mouth. Finishes with crisp acidity that balances the brininess of a lot of shellfish. Food pairing - "Muscadet, mussels and fries!" Shellfish. Lobster.

Domaine des Vercheres Macon-Villages 2005 (Burgundy, France) Reg. $16.99 Sale $13.99 - It's rare to find a Burgundy this good at this price - This is a perfect all-purpose white wine. It's "Beautiful!" Wonderful aromas of green apples, freesia & minerals. Mineral & green apple flavors! Crisp, bright & fresh finish. Aged in neutral oak barrels for softness & complexity - but ZERO woodiness. 100% Chardonnay. Food pairing - roasted poultry, baked trout, salmon, tuna, crab cakes, etc. London's Times calls this a "show stopping Burgundy producer!"

Aresti Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Chile) Reg. $9.99 Sale $8.99 - . A good, tasty wine and a great value! Intense aromas of lemon, grapefruit, Provencal herbs and grass. Flavors of pineapple, mango and grapefruit. Light-to-medium bodied. This is bright and fresh with zingy acidity. Well-balanced fruit and acidity. Nice, long finish. Hand-harvested grapes. Hand-sorted grapes. Free-run juice. Food pairing - drinks well without food! Great with seafood, shellfish and chicken. Also with lighter pasta dishes.

The Reds:

Maipe Malbec 2005 (Mendoza, Argentina) $12.99 - Excellent wine & a great value! Aromas and flavors of flowers, ripe figs, dark berry fruit and more! Soft, integrated tannins. Nice length on the finish! Brand new to Maine! I've tasted this fresh after opening it and a day or two later - it's been good both ways - in fact, drinking it a day or so after opening shows that decanting will open up the flavors & aromas! Food pairing - drinks well on its own. Great with roasted & grilled meats, rich pasta dishes, etc. Wine Spectator, "Best Value, 87 points

Talley Family Vineyards Bishop's Peak Rock Solid Red 2004 (Paso Robles, California) $14.99 - This is one stinking good wine from a great family-owned winery! Wonderful dark berry fruit aromas and flavors. Fresh and lively. Peppery. Not too heavy - not too light. Talley Vineyards is one of the true stars in the Central Coast. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Aged in French and American oak. Food pairing - grilled meats, pizza and tomato sauce pasta dishes. Drinks well without food.

Jelu Pinot Noir 2005 (Patagonia, Argentina) Reg. $14.99 Sale $13.99 - We just love this winery and this Pinot Noir is awesome! Aromas of dark berries (blueberries, dark plums and blackberries) with some hints of Provencal herbs. Flavors of juicy red and dark berries, plums and hints of earth and minerals. Medium-bodied. Easy to drink! Brand-new to Maine! Food pairing - Excellent choice with roasted or grilled meats, rich vegetarian dishes, and other flavorful food. Great with salmon. Drinks well on its own!

That's the selection!

Enjoy!

We sure are!