Hedges and Step Rd Special!

Hello,

Two of our distributors have some great savings going on 3 wonderful wines - so, we bought some and are passing on the savings to you!

Buy any case combination (that's 12 bottles) of these wines (you decide - you can do 4-4-4 or 10-1-1 or 12 of one or 3-3-6 - it's your choice) and get

a price of $10/bottle**

• that's more than the case price savings of 10%!!!
• That's more than 15% off the sale price!!!
• In the case of the Hedges, you are saving nearly 30%!
  

The wines:

• Hedges Family Estate CMS White 2006 (Washington) Reg. $13.99 Sale $11.99
• Hedges Family Estate CMS Red 2005 (Washington) Reg. $13.99 Sale $11.99
• Step Rd Black Wing Shiraz 2005 (Australia) Reg. $12.99 Sale $11.99 (Robert Parker, 90 points)
  

All of these are in stock right now!

Time for my comments on these great values!

Hedges Family Estate

Hedges Family Estate is a wonderful, family-owned winery in the Red Mountain area of Washington State. The Red Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the best grape-growing area in Washington State. The areas warm days and cool nights help the grapes fully ripen with the acidity they need to produce full, complete wines!

They make Bordeaux-style blends - although, with a little bit of "New World" license when it comes to the grapes!

Hedges is in the process of undergoing the 3-year process to earn biodynamic certification from the Demeter Organization. Think of biodynamic agriculture as being organic on steroids. Okay, steroids is not the right word. Biodynamics is organic wrapped up in sustainable, wholistic agriculture. Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner first postulated biodynamics.

Hedges CMS White 2006 Reg. $13.99 Sale $11.99

This is wonderfully crisp, bright and fresh.

Each year, the Hedges CMS White is just a great value! The 2006 vintage just arrived in Maine! It's a crystal clear, pale straw color.

The blend of grapes provides a wealth of aromas - pears, freshly mown grass, apples, citrus, honey, figs, minerals, hints of green bananas. Spend a little time with this wine - let it warm up a little - if it is at fridge temperature.

Flavors of ripe pears, green apples, lemon grass and minerals. Hints of a little white pepper and white peaches. This has a really nice texture and feel - it's starts soft and round, then finishes crisp and clean. Long pleasant finish.

Approximately 16,000 cases made. 64% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Chardonnay and 3% Marsanne. Winemaker - Pete Hedges. 100% stainless steel fermentation.

Food pairing - great with seafood and shellfish. Drinks well without food, but this really shines with food. This is a wonderful choice as a house white!

Each year, this wine gets good reviews - the 2006 is so new that it hasn't been reviewed by a major publication. You've just read my review and I stand by it!

Hedges CMS Red 2005 Reg. $13.99 Sale $11.99

This is really good wine! I love the Hedges CMS Red!

An old-style Claret - blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (in the old, old days before France was unified under one of the Louis's, the British controlled the Bordeaux wine region and often Syrah was added to many of the Bordeaux blends).

This is fantastic and just a great deal!

Aromas of dark berries, black plums, black cherries, baking spices, licorice, mocha, vanilla and toasty oak. Flavors of dark berries, cassis, vanilla, baking spices with hints of toast and black pepper. This is medium-bodied. Well-balanced acidity. Great length on the finish. The tannins are there, but not overpowering.

49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 4% Syrah. Winemaker - Pete Hedges. 90% French oak and 10% American oak. Some lots of the wine spend up to a year in barrels. This wine will age well for 2-6 years. 31,893 cases made.

Food pairing - great with a steak or lamb. Harder cheeses such as Piave Vecchio.

Step Rd Black Wing Shiraz 2005 (Australia) Reg. $12.99 Sale $11.99

This is a "knock-dead," powerhouse of an Aussie Shiraz!

Wonderful Shiraz and a great value!

Step Road is a fantastic winery from Australia! It hails from the Langhorne Creek area, one of Australia's best-kept secrets in winemaking and home to some of its oldest vineyards and wineries.

The name, Black Wing, comes from their attracting hawks to the area to chase away the small birds that feast on the grapes. They attract hawks by placing offal in the vineyard area during the ripening season. The offal attracts a family of hawks (the Black Wing). The hawks "shadowy" presence chases off the smaller birds and preserves the grapes.

This is quintessential, modern Aussie Shiraz at its best - loads of fruit, some pepper, easy-to-drink, just fun!

It's medium-bodied. Aromas of ripe berries, pepper & spice. Soft, supple, lush feel in the mouth. Flavors of dark berries and black cherries, chocolate and earth. Good balance b/t fruit, acidity and tannins. Rich and soft in the middle. Long finish. Aged 12-18 months in French & American oak. The winery attracts hawks to the area to deter the little birds that would eat all the grapes!

Food Pairing - roasted and grilled meats. Drinks well on its own!

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 90 points
"The 2005 Shiraz Black Wing offers black cherry, chocolate, smoke, and earth characteristics in a medium-bodied, rich, intense format. Drink it over the next 2-3 years." Wine Advocate (#167, Oct 2006), 90 pts

**That's 10/bottle....I've already factored in a case discount into the price...so, it's not $10/bottle and another 10% off....it's $10/bottle when you buy a case....mixed however you want to mix it! So, a case of these wonderful wines is $120 plus tax and deposit out the door (that's $127.80).