January Wines We Love, #2

Freeport Cheese & Wine

Wines that are "too good and too cheap not to buy!"

These are wines about to go into vintage changes and Tim at Mariner Beverages wants to move these out so he can open up space and money to bring in the new wines. These are rock-solid wines - the vintages are fine....it's just that 2-10 cases of a wine don't do a distributor much good - so, it's better to drop the price and move 'em out! Lots of these are from the Small Vineyards portfolio from Italy that we just LOVE!

Whites:

Schoenheitz Gewurztraminer 2005 (Alsace, France) - Reg. $22.99, Sale $14.99, By the Case $11.99 - drier style Gewurz from a wonderful little producer in Alsace.


Reds:

Sanguineti Rosso di Montepulciano 2004 (Italy) - Reg. $17.99, Sale $12.99, By the Case $9.99 - This is the classic "little brother" of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano! Made by Tuscan wine guru Antonio Sanguineti from grapes from the famous Lombardo estate of Montepulciano! This Rosso is full of dried cherry aromas and flavors...deep and dark.....Antonio makes bold, rich wines.....this is a STEAL! Wonderful Italian wine! Tuscan blend of 90% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and 10% Merlot. Aged in 2nd or 3rd use French oak barrels (big ones) for 4-6 months. 500 cases made.

Terre del Grico Salice Salentino 2001 (Italy) - Reg. $21.99, Sale $13.99, By the Case $11.99 - Elegant and powerful! Dense, almost raisin-like fruits. Classic Mediterranean spice aromas - sage, anise, rosemary, etc. Blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera (Negroamaro means "blackest of the black" - it's a dark, dark grape. Aged 1 year in American oak barriques and then aged in the bottle. Unfiltered. From Apulgia in Southern Italy. The vines are 37-72 years old. Made by Massimiliano and Marcello Apollonio (brothers) - they also own Forte Canto, whose Primitivo we are tasting! 850 cases made. At it's normal price, this is not an everyday red, but at this price.....make pizza....put a lasagna in the oven! It is an everyday red!

Monte Oliveto Maggiore Toscana Rosso 2006 (Italy) Reg. $26.99 Sale $14.99 - This is a delicious blend from Sienna in Tuscany! Aromas & flavors of red berries (raspberries and cherries), black fruits such as blueberries & black cherries, vanilla, cocoa, mocha and a little earth. Smooth texture. Wonderful wine that could age for another 3-5 years. 60% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet & 15% Merlot. Organic farming. Monte Oliveto is a HUGE monastery dating to 1313. One of the cool things about this area is the terrain - it's unique! It's the Badlands of Italy - the Crete Senesi! The wine is distinctly Italian and we'll have some salami and/or cheese to go with it! Food pairing - roasted meats, pasta dishes, mushroom dishes, etc. Meals such as Thanksgiving Dinner (poultry and lots of side dishes).

Cantine La Quercia Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2006 (Italy) Reg. 15.99, Sale $11.99, By the Case $9.99 - Delicious wine from Italy! Medium-bodied with lush, ripe red and dark berries in the aromas and flavors. Spicy notes in the flavors. Smooth and soft drinking! Dusty tannins that don’t overwhelm the flavors. 100% Montepulciano. 4-6 months bottle aging and 4-6 months barrel aging in 10 year-old oak barrels. 2,000 cases made. Organic farming. Food pairing – meats, roasts and pasta dishes.

Forte Canto Primitivo 2004 (Puglia, Italy) Reg. $15.99, Sale $12.99, By the Case, $10.99 - Excellent wine from Southern Italy and a great deal! Aromas and flavors of dark, ripe cherries and berries, baking spices and herbs. Great long finish that lingers and is “just” dry……not too dry and certainly not sweet! 100% Primitivo. Primitivo is the same grape as Zinfandel, but the wine is different! 3 months bottle aging and 12 months barrel aging in 5-to-10 year-old oak barrels. 3,200 cases made. Organic farming. Food pairing – meats, roasts and pasta dishes.

We'll have 9-10 wines at comparable savings....these are excellent wines that you get buy at a great savings!

Freeport Cheese & Wine
27 Bow Street
Freeport, ME 04032
(207) 865-3993

November 2008 Wines of the Month

November Wines of the Month

It's November....so we are focused on American winemakers......in fact....we are focused on only 2 of them.....

One from Washington and one from California. The Washington winemaker, the infamous bad boy of Washington (and maybe American) winemaking....the one and only Charles Smith, many of you know from his well-regarded K Vintners. You've seen some of these wines before, but not these vintages. Also, 2 of these are from his new label, Charles Smith Wines (ignore the "under construction" note - the links on the site work).

The reds....all from Tobin James from Paso Robles in California. For years, Tobin James has been a "cult" wine from Paso Robles....hard-to-find outside of California. Well.....now they are here!

Tobin James started....well....when Tobin James (yes, he's a real person), was a low-level worker in a winery (that would be an "assistant" winemaker - those guys move hoses, barrels, rinse out tanks, etc.). The winery couldn't accept 6 tons of grapes that were arriving....and the owner rejected them....Toby James asked if he could have them......the answer was, "Yes." The result....18 months later....gold medals and accolades for Toby's first Zinfandel, the 1985 "Blue Moon" Zin.

Praise has been coming in ever since!

Tier One

K Vintners Holy Cow Chardonnay 2006 (Washington) $12.99 - Excellent Chardonnay that bridges Old World and New! Aromas and flavors of Granny Smith apples, limes, quinine, No oak and no residual sugar – clean, crisp, fresh and medium-bodied. Vibrant, balanced acidity. More like a Burgundy than a “fat” Californian. When to drink – now. Not a candidate for long-term cellaring, but the modern screw-cap will help keep this bright and fresh for a year or 2! Food pairing – Fish such as mahi mahi, tuna, spicy Asian dishes with soy sauce, sesame, peanuts, black and red peppers, poultry, etc.

Tobin James Paso Robles Chateau Le Cacheflo Syrah-Sangiovese-Barbera 2006 (California) $11.99 - Yes....the name of the wine is "Le Cacheflo" - spelling by phonics....that is "Le Cash Flow." Goofy name.....really good wine at $12!

Medium-dry red that is medium-bodied. Easy drinking! Aromas of red fruit, a little dusty earth and peppery spice. The tannins are medium and help balance the ripe fruit flavors. Along with the ripe red fruit, this has some subtle baking spices and chocolate. Blend of Syrah, Barbera and Sangiovese – so this definitely has a Mediterranean flair to it. Call it a California “Rhone-clone” Italian-style! Food pairing – awesome wine for cookouts, pizza, spaghetti, etc!

Tier Two

K Vintners Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2007 (Washington) $13.99 - Excellent!!! We tasted this at a recent tasting – great! Beautiful aromas of minerals, pears, citrus. Crisp, bright & fresh drinking. Dry, but not tannic (that feeling of your mouth being coated). Huge, long finish of pears, apples & minerals. Charles Smith, winemaker, calls this “Kung Fu Girl” Riesling, because he says, “both girls & Riesling kick ***!” Food pairing - This will be awesome with shellfish, salmon – grilled, smoked or baked, Thai food, ham and more! Drinks great on its own!

Tobin James Paso Robles Ballistic Zinfandel 2006 (California) $17.99 - A wonderful wine and a great value in a Zinfandel from a “cult” winery! Gobs of dark peppery fruit in the aromas and flavors. Hints of Provencal herbs, black cherries & black pepper. Great acidity. Soft tannins. Full-bodied. 100% Zinfandel from 27 different Paso Robles old-vine vineyards (60-75 years), including the famed Dusi Vineyard. This will drink well for the next 3-4 years. Food pairing – ribs, beef, steak, lamb, lasagna, pizza….

Tier Three

K Vintners Viognier 2007 (Washington) $22.99 - This is a big, bold and beautiful wine! The only thing bigger than this winemaker’s ego are the flavors and aromas in his wines! Beautiful aromas of minerals, peaches, pears, flowers and apples. Rich and velvety in the mouth. Excellent acidity and minerality in the flavors. Huge, long finish of pears and minerals. Food pairing - This will absolutely be smokin’ with roasted chicken or pork tenderloin with root vegetables. Great with salmon. Awesome shellfish wine! Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 91 points

Tobin James Paso Robles James Gang Reserve Zinfandel 2006 (California) $29.99 - The big blockbuster from the James Gang! Big, rich and bold! Long, long finish. Aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, pepper, subtle hints of oak and vanilla. While the alcohol is high, you don’t notice it. This wine is “jammy” rich! Nicely balanced tannins and acidity. The cream of the crop from the barrels at the James Gang. This will drink well for the next 3-4 years. Food pairing – great with grilled foods.

The Other

Tobin James "Dreamweaver" "California Champagne" (California) $11.99 - (1) this is sparkling wine; (2) it is NOT champagne; (3) I think Tobin James is poking fun at the "name czars" in the wine world; (4) I'm certain Toby James knows it is wrong to call this "Champage;" (5) this is really good, light and fun to drink!

Blend of Chardonnay, Muscat and Chenin Blanc. This is light, bubbly, fruity, easy-to-drink and tasty!

Hard-to-go-wrong!

Four Great Rieslings! - 90+ points Wine Spectator

4 GREAT Rieslings!

Rieslings are wines that you can age for years!

I just tasted these with Justin of Wicked Wines. These are incredibly good and great values!

All 4 are from Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler (you should see the photos of this place!). All 4 are from the Mosel.

The Mosel is dotted with wine villages - these wines come from Bernkastel (3) and Wehlen (1). Dr. Peter Pauly and his wife, Helga, own 2 estates - "Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler" and "Peter Nicolay." These vineyards are on steelp, difficult-to-farm hillsides along the river. Peter Pauly is the offspring of the famous Bergweiler and Prüm families, who are first mentioned in official records in 1156. Pauly made wine with Christian Labonte and Josef Staab at Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau. His grandfather, Zacharias Bergweiler, was for many decades one of the most respected wine-growers on the Mosel.

Dr. Pauly took over his grandfather's estate while still a student in 1959, subsequently completing his doctorate and writing a thesis on the economic opportunities offered by the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine-growing region. Helga Pauly married Peter Pauly in 1971. Her family, the Berres, owned the "Peter Nicolay" estate. Carl Hubert Berres was one of the greatest competitors and closes friends with Zacharias Bergweiler. Their son, Stefan, runs the winery today with his sister, Ulrike.

The vineyards are 12.5 hectares (about 32 acres) are kept to low yields to produce the best grapes. The winery makes about 12,000 cases of wine each year (140,000 bottles). It uses stainless steel tanks and makes wine from 15 vineyards.

Have you ever wanted to know how to read a German label?

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg 2007

• Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler - the winery
• Riesling - the grape
• Kabinett - this tells you the quality of the grapes. Once these words are written on a label, generally we are in the category of really good wines. Kabinett is the first (lowest) of the six subcategories of qualitätswein mit prädikat (QmP)- the highest quality-wine category in Germany. Kabinett wines must contain minimum amounts of natural sugar. These are the lowest minimums for QmP wines, and these wines are therefore usually the driest and least expensive. The other 5 subcategories are Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese going from 2nd lowest to the highest.
• Mosel - the region
• Bernkasteler - the "er" at the end means "of" or "from" - so this is from the village of Bernkasteler.
• alte Badstube am Doctorberg - the vineyard.

The 4 wines!

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg 2007 (Germany) $27.99 - This is a SINGLE VINEYARD wine from one of the greatest vineyards in the Mosel Valley, alte Badstube am Doctorberg. The vineyard is sout-facing. The vines are at least 40 years old. Wines from here can age for YEARS! A plush, pillowy version, with good acidity defining the smoky apricot, orange and mineral flavors. Delicate and balanced, with a touch of vanilla on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 500 cases made. Wine Spectator, 91 points

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Spätlese Mosel Bernkasteler Badstube 2007 (Germany) $32.99 - "Badstube" means "spa" (in the Middle Ages a hot spring created a "spa" here. Today, this area is synonymous with great wines. This vineyard is around the town of Bernkastel. The Badstube vineyard is not as steep as most of the Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler vineyards and it has a richer Devon slate stone soil. A distinctive mix of candied berry, floral and citrus aromas and flavors that pick up salty, mineral notes as it glides across the palate. Lovely texture and harmony, with a tangy, savory aftertaste. Drink now through 2030. 1,000 cases made. Wine Spectator, 93 points

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler Badstube 2007 (Germany) $22.99 - Needs a little air to reveal the peach, nectarine and salty, minerally elements. This is very savory, with fine balance and a saline, orange aftertaste. Drink now through 2022. 2,000 cases made. Wine Spectator, 90 points

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2007 (Germany) $28.99 - From the famous "Sundial" vineyard facing the town of wehlen across the Moselle. This vineyard produces full-bodied wines! The vineyard is 165 acres, but it is divided into a large number of individual parcels. This vineyard led to the citizens of Wehlen being well-off. In the early 20th century they built a suspension bridge across the river - that bridge and the sundial are historical landmarks. Plump, yet well-defined by its lively structure. Peach, lime and mineral notes are accented by strawberry and vanilla in this complex white. Fine length. Drink now through 2022. 700 cases made. Wine Spectator, 90 points

Freeport Cheese & Wine