April Wine Tasting

April Wine Tasting

Friday, April 16th

3:30-7:30

10% off on all tasting wines!

Art’s table (National Distributors)

Whites

Hedges CMS White Blend 2007 (Washington) Reg. $13.99, Sale $12.99 – This is wonderfully crisp, bright & fresh. Each year, this is just a great value! Aromas of pears, freshly mown grass, apples, citrus, honey, figs, minerals, hints of green bananas. Flavors of ripe pears, green apples, lemon grass, minerals, white pepper & white peaches. This has a really nice texture and feel - it starts soft & round, then finishes crisp & clean. Long pleasant finish. 64% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Chardonnay & 1% Marsanne. Stainless steel fermentation. Biodynamic agriculture (think sustainable, organic holistic farming). Food pairing - great with seafood and shellfish. Drinks well without food, but this really shines with food.

Yes, you are reading this next part correctly. We have 3 Chardonnays in a row. This is a great opportunity to taste 3 distinctly different wines made from the same grape!

Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran 2008 (France) $17.99 – A wine lover traveling through Burgundy would expect, after Pouilly-Fuissé, to be in the Beaujolais area. Not so fast! The lovely village of Saint-Vérand (note the different spelling), wedged between these two areas, is half hidden among the hills. Established by decree on January 6, 1971, it is the latest appellation in the Mâconnais region. Its Jurassic chalky soil, a continuation of the limestone strata found in the Côte d'Or, is ideal for growing Chardonnay grapes. Saint-Véran is very close stylistically to Pouilly-Fuissé, with its golden-green hue, its intense fruity, flowery nose and its refreshing flavors. It can be enjoyed very young, two-to-three months after bottling. Yet, give it one or two more years to fully appreciate its complexity. Hand-harvested. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and is bottled before summer to capture the freshness and fruitiness of the wine. Food pairing - hors d'oeuvres, delicately flavored charcuterie, oysters, mussels and any other shellfish.

Liberty School Chardonnay 2007 (California) Reg. $12.99, Sale $11.99 – This has classic green apple aromas with citrus and a little toast. Flavors of citrus, pineapple, pears and subtle oak. The Viognier adds a little floral note to the wine. Clean, crisp finish. 95% Chardonnay and 5% Viognier. 75% of the wine is barrel aged in French and American oak, but only 10% of the barrels are new, so the “oak” is subtle. This sees no malolactic fermentation to preserve the fruit characteristics of the wine.

Ferrari-Carano Tré Terre Chardonnay 2007 (California) Reg. $34.99, Sale $22.99 - Made exclusively from Russian River grapes! Delicious, lush, smooth Chardonnay that show little oak. Aromas of green apples, pears, apples, figs & baking spices. The aromas carry through to the flavors. The wine is aged “sur lies” for about 15 months in mostly older oak barrels and it goes through malolactic fermentation, so it is lush and creamy. 6,742 cases made. Food pairing – seafood, poultry, dishes with Provencal herbs. Creamy pasta dishes.

Reds

Joseph Drouhin La Foret Rouge Pinot Noir 2006 (Burgundy, France) $16.99 – Excellent bottle and a great value! Aromas of crushed red berries. Flavors of fresh red berries and a touch of earth. Light and elegant tannins. Fermented in a mix of oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. Destemmed grapes. Sustainable Farming. Food pairings – poultry, au gratin dishes, soft cheeses.

Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir 2007 (Oregon) $21.99 – This is a new venture for Dreyfus, Ashby – after being an importer for decades and helping Domaine Drouhin build its Oregon property, Dreyfus, Ashby is making wine. Véronique Drouhin-Boss is the consulting winemaker. Cloudline is deep ruby red, a sign of its classic Pinot Noir character. On the palate, the wine is soft and round, with a delightful core of cherries and red fruits. The structure is perhaps even a bit better than the much-admired 2005 Cloudline, and the overall fruit-forwardness makes for a wine that is thoroughly enjoyable now and for the next several years to come.

Miguel Torres Santa Digna Carmenère 2008 (Chile) $12.99 – This has a beautiful cherry color and aromas of blackberries & cassis with balsamic & eucalyptus notes. This is an elegant wine with flavors of dark fruit, leather, licorice, black pepper and baking spices. The oak aging adds vanilla and a pleasing toasty characteristic to it. This winery is owned by the Torres Winery from Spain, whose wines we are tasting tonight. Food pairing - Perfect with beef and veal, as well as with spicy chicken stew. It rises well to every challenge, from fish (tasty chowder) to spicy sauces.

Hedges CMS Red Blend 2008 (Columbia Valley, Washington) Reg. $13.99, Sale $12.99 - We love this blend – it’s a great value from Washington State. Rich black raspberry & currant aromas and flavors. Tasty. Notes of vanilla, hazelnuts, baking spices & a hint of licorice…medium-bodied….firm, chewy tannins, yet this is soft, fruit-forward & easy-to-drink. Nice, long finish. Blend - 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot & 6% Syrah. Aged 12 months in French & American oak. This can age for 5-7 years, but it is drinking nicely right now! Biodynamic agriculture (think sustainable, organic holistic farming). Wine Enthusiast, 89 points, “Best Buy” (12-time “Best Buy”)

Bruce’s table
Bruce Cole works for the importer, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.

Whites

Torres Sangre de Toro White 2008 (Catalonia, Spain) $9.99 – This is fresh and fruity! Fruity aroma with hints of apple and pineapple. Smooth, balanced palate with a fine acidic edge. 100% Parellada, one of the grapes used to make Cava. Food pairings - Excellent as a cocktail wine and with rice dishes, seafood and fish.

3 Stones Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Marlborough, New Zealand) $16.99 – This Sauvignon Blanc is a zesty and delicious wine from Marlborough, the famed growing region located on New Zealand’s South Island. Flavors of passion fruit and gooseberry combine with mouth-watering acidity, creating a truly refreshing wine. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Stainless steel fermentation. Sustainable agriculture. Food pairings - Fish, goat cheese, white meat, oysters, and shellfish.

Rosé

Château de Campuget Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2008 (France) $12.99 - Delicious rosé from France! Flavors and aromas of raspberries and red currants. Long finish that is crisp, dry AND fruity. 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. Stainless steel fermentation. Bottled young and fresh and meant to be drunk that way! Food pairing – salads, grilled chicken, Thanksgiving Dinner, roast pork. Great with roasted red peppers which are drizzled with good olive oil.

Reds

Torres Sangre de Toro Tempranillo 2007 (Catalonia, Spain) $9.99 – This wine delivers a lot of bang for the buck! Delicate floral aromas over a background of very ripe fruit, oak and truffles. Its tannins have a fruity, meaty structure that evolves into velvety touches of smoke and spices acquired during aging. 100% Tempranillo. Food pairing - Ideal with meat, stews, paella, and perfect with creamy cheeses. Stephen Tanzer, Int’l Wine Cellar, 87 points

Enrique Foster “IQUE” Malbec 2008 (Argentina) $12.99 – This is fresh, vibrant and loaded with fruit! Aromas and flavors of fresh red berries and white pepper. This has soft tannins and smooth finish. 100% estate-grown Malbec from 30 year-old vines in Mendoza. Hand-harvested. Stainless steel fermentation and aging. Food pairings - meat, pasta and cheese.

Château Campuget 1753 Syrah Costières de Nîmes 2006 (France) $14.99 – This Syrah is done completely in stainless steel - it sees no oak, but it has layers and layers of complexity. This has a soft, smooth mouthfeel. The wine is both elegant and powerful. Aromas and flavors of dark berries, blackcurrants, pepper, baking spices, chocolate and anise. The tannins are fine-grained. Good length on the finish. This is a wine that will evolve for the better over 2 hours of drinking! The winery dates to 1640. The vineyards at Campuget are covered with large round stones that were rolled onto the land when the Rhone River floods. These stones help moderate the temperatures in the vineyards as they do in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Wine Spectator, 88 points

Torres Ibericos 2006 (Spain) $XX.99 – . Food pairing - .

Torres Celeste Ribera del Duero 2006 (Spain) $24.99 - Textbook style from Ribera del Duero. Smooth and big! Intense blackberry color. Spicy and intense nose, with licorice and black pepper hints on a base of well ripened fruits (blackberry and cherry). On the palate, very fruity at first with ripened tannins, also persistent and full bodied. 100% Tempranillo (Tinto Fino) from the Ribera del Duero, known in the region as Tinto Fino. Food pairings - owing to its fruity and tannic characteristics, this wine pairs well with a great variety of meat dishes, including roasts and small game. Wine Enthusiast, 91 points