DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!

Deals!

Deals! Deals! Deals!

One of the distributors dropped its pants on some wines and we pounced.

The next 3 wines are all from one of Alsace’s greatest wineries and one of the greatest ANYWHERE in the world! Domaine Zind Humbrecht! A friend who knows his way around the wine world (and especially Alsace and Germany), calls Zind Humbrecht the “Lafite of Alsace!”

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling 2006 (Alsace, France) Reg. $41.99, Sale $22.99 - This is a dry Riesling. Lots of aromas and flavors – orange, honey, tart fruit, minerals and more! It will evolve and change in the glass over an evening. It has nice acidity that makes the wine refreshingly crisp! 1,000 cases made. This will age well through 2020. 28 bottles. Wine Spectator, 91 points, #72 on the Top 100 List in 2008, “Smart Buy.” We bought all of this – you won’t find it at this price in another store!

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim (Alsace, France) Reg. $42.99, Sale $22.99 – Dry white wine! Big flavors and aromas.! Aromas and flavors of white pepper, spices, toast, lychee and peaches. It has a smokiness to the minerals in the flavors. The color of the wine indicates the ripeness of the grapes and the presence of botrytis on the grapes at harvest. 850 cases made. Drink now through 2013. Food pairing – Asian food. Smoked fish. 25 bottles. Wine Spectator, 88 points. We bought all of this – you won’t find it at this price in another store!

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Zind 2006 (Alsace, France) Reg. $35.99, Sale $17.99 – A wine that has a lot going on and it goes down easy! Complex and fun! This is a bit lighter than the 2003/2005 versions of the wine – but, that’s due to the weather in those years. 65% Chardonnay and 35% Auxerrois. All are from Clos Windsbuhl – which has a definitive calcareous make-up to its soil. The aromas show the minerality of the soil. The aromas are more about minerals than fruit. The wine is aged on lees (the residue in the barrel). The vines were planted in 1988. Auxerrois is a grape native to Lorraine and it is a close sibling to Chardonnay. 26 bottles.

Silverado Vineyards "Vineburg" Carneros Chardonnay 2005 (California) Reg. $31.99, Sale $18.99 - This is a really nice Chardonnay. It’s seen time in oak barrels (59% in French oak barrels, but only 13% are new; the rest is fermented in stainless steel barrels), but is not “oaky.” Aromas of flowers with subtle vanilla and baking spice notes. Also green apple and some citrus. The flavors echo the aromas with the addition of nice minerals. It’s silky smooth! Only 25% goes through malolactic fermentation (that’s what makes Chardonnay buttery and creamy). Single Vineyard wine. 30 bottles. Wine Spectator, 87 points. We bought all of this – you won’t find it at this price in another store!

Girlan Gewurztraminer Aimé 2005 (Alto Adige, Italy) Reg. $24.99, Sale $12.99 – This has a deep, golden color. Aromas of flowers, honey and lychee nuts. The wine is soft and smooth in the glass – really viscous. Medium-bodied. It’s spicy – anise and pepper. Tropical fruit and stone fruit flavors. It needs to breathe a bit after opening. 11 bottles. Wine Enthusiast, 87 points

Falesco Ferentano 2006 (Lazio, Italy) Reg. $29.99, Sale $17.99 - A great, unusual white wine! Aromas and flavors of lemons, dried apples, fresh herbs, vanilla, hazelnuts, minerals & more. Rich & full-bodied. Long finish that is just complex as can be! From a rare grape unique to Umbria - 100% estate-grown Roscetto, a red grape that makes a full-bodied white wine. Aged 3 months in 2-year-old French oak barriques. Bottled unfined & unfiltered. Aged 1 month in the bottle before release. 3,000 cases made. Food pairing - This white wine screams for "big" meats dishes. Definitely a "red wine lover's" white wine! Drink from 2009-2011. 24 bottles. Stephen Tanzer, IWC, 92 points; Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 88 points. We bought all of this – you won’t find it at this price in another store!

Adelsheim Pinot Blanc 2005 (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Reg. $18.99, Sale $9.99 – This is a smooth, juicy wine. Loaded with melon, nectarine and baking spice aromas and flavors. Has that nice minerality that is a hallmark of Pinot Blanc. 579 cases made. 15 bottles. Wine Spectator, 88 points. We bought all of this – you won’t find it at this price in another store!

Sineann Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Columbia Valley) $21.99, Sale $14.99 – Crisp, nice white that is great for summer drinking! A little more weighty than many Sauvignon Blancs. Not citrusy – more to the tropical fruit side along with stone fruits. Winemaker Peter Rosback is passionate about making good wine – and he goes to great length and effort to source the best grapes possible! Food pairing – Asian food. 12 bottles.

Jean-Marc Bouley Meursault 2006 (Burgundy, France) $55.99, Sale $39.99 – we tasted this Thursday. It’s delicious! And amazing! So much going on in the glass. Rich and soft and smooth Chardonnay. It smells like buttered popcorn at the beginning with notes of caramel and buttered toast and hazelnuts coming on. Fruit such as baked pears and apples. This is SERIOUS Chardonnay! Nice acidity and minerals to the wine. Food pairing – salmon, duck. 9 bottles. We bought all of this – you won’t find it at this price in another store!

Reds:

Haras El Pirque Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Maipo, Chile) Reg. $11.99, Sale $6.99 – full bodied red! Excellent Wednesday night Cabernet! Aromas and flavors of stewed dark fruit, smoke, wet, dark earth and herbs. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Carmenère.
Made from approximately 90% Cabernet and 10% Carmenère. 36 bottles.

Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz 2004 (Australia) Reg. $11.99, Sale $6.99 – excellent value at $12…..quite the bargain at $7! Aromas of plums, blackberries and spices. A little toast and vanilla. Lots of plums, cherries and dark fruit in this full-bodied red! Notes of mocha and dark chocolate. Soft and smooth. Lingers on the finish. 31 bottles.

Stanley Lambert “Thoroughbred” Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Australia) Reg. $28.99, Sale $19.99 - A wine Lindsay loves to make is Cabernet Sauvignon – his is about elegance rather than power! Aromas and flavors of blackcurrants and plums & vanilla. Fine-grained tannins and a rich finish. This will age well for a number of years. Aged in French and American oak casks for 30 months! This was the first wine Lindsay Stanley made under his own label in 1991 & walked away with the "Top Prize" at the Barossa Wine Show. Food pairing - steak, lamb, grilled meats.....drinks well without food. 23 bottles. Wine Enthusiast, 90 points, "Best Buy"