Newsletter
April 15, 2014 – May 14, 2014
Rosé Gets Serious
For many years rosés were just fun and frivolous, but recent vintages have begun to show the serious side of rosé. Darker colors, noticeable tannin, minerality, and crisp lengthy finishes are now more common features. Consequently these wines inspire us to think of their gastronomic potential to complement the foods of the season.
Catalan Ros de Pacs
2013 Penedès ‘Ros de Pacs’ (Parés Baltà)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Parés Baltà’s Ros de Pacs is a dark-hued rosé with some peppery tannins and concentrated berry fruit framed by a dry finish. Have this with a spicy vegetable paella with lots of garlic. This Catalan has a ton of character.
Fleur de Nimes
2013 Costières de Nîmes ‘Fleur d’Eglantine’ (Château Mourgues du Grès)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
After a year’s absence from the market one of our Southern French favorites
has returned. Fleur d’Eglantine from Mourgues du Grès hails from Nimes and is a strawberry-scented, lively rosé that is perfect for a grilled salmon and asparagus.
Knights of the Pale Provence Pink
2013 Côtes de Provence (Commanderie de Peyrassol)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
Château Peyrassol has been around since the 11th century and was once a refuge of the Knights Templar. Today it is a bastion of the classic pale rosé of Provence. While not deeply colored, this rosé of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah is crisp and long with hints of minerals and sunny ripe fruits. This will be excellent with a steamed lobster and an artichoke salad.
Listed prices are honored through May 14th, 2014. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 38, No. 5
Recently Rescued Umbrian…
2012 Trebbiano Spoletino (Perticaia)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
Trebbiano Spoletino was nearly extinct when it was rescued by an Umbrian producer in the early 2000s. Cuttings from 600 old vines, some over a hundred years old, were replanted by several producers, including Perticaia, whose version was a wonderful surprise among the many good wines from this producer. The 2012 is full bodied, rich, and aromatic and maintains very good acidity. We suggest this with an asparagus risotto dotted with fava beans and pecorino..
Grands Cras
2012 Morgon ‘Grands Cras’ (Burgaud)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
We continue to empasize that the Cru Beaujolais Morgon offers
much more than basic Beaujolais Villages. Burgaud has once again produced a Morgon with vibrant fruit, taut minerals, and gripping tannins. Give this young wine an hour of air and serve it with a fruit-stuffed pork loin.
Cows Complete the Circle
2012 Burgenlandred (Meinklang)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
This is the first wine we know of that gives credit to the cows that roam the landscape and complete an ecological circle. Burgenland-red from Meinklang is a blend of Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch, and St. Laurent. This fruity, well balanced red is perfect for a potato gratin and a salad of bitter greens and roasted garlic.
Gen 5 Zin
2011 Lodi Zinfandel (Gen 5)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
It’s time to give white Rioja some respect. The 2012 Royal from Franco-Españolas preserves the fresh, pear fruit of Viura while maintaining a zesty mineral streak. Try this with a paprika-rubbed roast chicken along with garlic and rosemary potatoes.
Northern Rhone Syrah
2012 Syrah ‘Les Vignes d’à Côté’ (Yves Cuilleron)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Syrah from the Northern Rhone Valley is a delightfully challenging wine. In the form of Hermitage, Cornas, and Côte Rôtie it requires many years to shed its tannins and emerge as a wine of breed and distinction. Of recent note are wines that deliver early-drinking pleasure from the side valleys adjacent to these famous appellations. Yves Cuilleron’s 2012 Syrah only requires an hour or so of breathing to reveal its complexity. Then you’ll find an aromatically complex, meaty, and earthy red that will match well with a cassoulet or a grilled lamb dish.
Ready-to-Go Barolo
2009 Barolo (Azelia)
Sale Price $39.99 – $407.90 case of twelve
Azelia’s village Barolo is such a thoroughly modern ready-to-go Barolo from a ripe, not too challenging vintage, that we encourage its immediate use with a meal of braised beef and polenta. The aromas of mixed berries and rose petals and ripe tannins are classic Barolo features that merge on the palate into a seamless whole.
Montepulciano Rosso
2011 Rosso di Montepulciano (Fattoria del Cerro)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Rosso di Montelpuciano has become one of the better Tuscan Sangiovese values. It emerges as deeper and fruitier than a Chianti and neither as forbiddingly tannic nor as expensive as a Rosso di Montalcino. The 2001 from Fattoria del Cerro features ripe cherry fruit, hints of woodsy cedar, and a fine dry finish. Have this with a pappardelle Bolognese.
Extraordinary Vin Santo
2004 Vin Santo delle Chianti Classico (Fèlsina)
Sale Price $39.99 NET per 375 ml
The reason Vin Santo is expensive lies in the process of the drying of the grapes, which lose about thirty percent of their volume, and in the further evaporation involved in the four plus years of barrel aging. That said, the 2004 Vin Santo from Fèlsina is one of the best wines of its kind that we have ever tasted. This has a near perfect balance of sweet fruit, delicious nuttiness, ripe meadow hay, and a creamy, mellow, long finish. Absolutely delicious.
Specialty Foods
Lake’s Edge
$22.99 per lb.
(Reg. price $25.99)
Named after the stones along the shore of Lake Champlain, this is a rich and velvety goat’s milk cheese from Blue Ledge Farm in Leicester, Vermont. It’s a sight to behold with its bloomy rind and dark streak of vegetable ash. Aged three weeks, it features a fresh milk taste with a bit of tang.
Abbaye De Belloc $21.99 per lb.
(Reg. price $24.99)
A firm, unpasteurized sheep’s milk cheese with a creamy texture and nutty caramel flavor. Originally produced by the Benedictine monks at the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Belloc in the Pays Basque region of Aquitaine, France and still produced in nearby farms using the original recipe and process.
Maggie’s Round $23.99 per lb.
(Reg. price $25.99)
This farmstead, raw cow’s milk cheese from Cricket Creek Farm in Williamstown Massachusetts is handmade with the milk of grass fed cows and aged 60 days. The texture is semi-firm with a rocky, creviced rind. Inspired by the toma style cheeses of the Italian Alps.
Benning Goat Gouda
$13.99 per lb.
(Reg. price $17.99)
A pasteurized goat’s-milk Gouda from Holland with the light fresh taste of goat’s milk and the smooth creamy texture of a cow’s milk Gouda. A versatile cheese suited to snacking or melting with a distinct, mild flavor.
NEW!
Creminelli Sopressa $21.99 per lb.
A new addition, Creminelli Sopressa is artisan salami made with organic ingredients in a natural beef casing. Perfectly balanced, delicate with subtle flavoring. Made from an Italian recipe in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Wine Cask Discount Policy
These are our EVERYDAY discounts.
15 % off of a whole case.
This reflects the case price listed for still wines on the first
three pages of the newsletter. 10 % off of a mixed case
This refers to all wines in the store except 1.5L sizes.
Wines of the Month (four on last page). Champagne and fortified wines (Port, Sherry and Vermouth) receive a 10% discount..
Wines of the Month — April 14, 2014 through May 15, 2014
2013 Albariño (Raimat)
Sale Price $9.99 – $107.89 case of twelve
El Coto once again proves that traditional Rioja can be a delicious and affordable red. The 2009 is smooth and elegant and ready for everyday meals like meatloaf and mashed potato.
2012 Rosso Piceno ‘Tolenus’ (Cantina Numa)
Sale Price $7.99 – $86.29 case of twelve
This ripe, mildly tannic blend of Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Syrah from Le Marche is a hearty wine for spicy sausages and broccoli rabe.
2012 Vinho Verde (Quinta da Aveleda)
Sale Price $6.99 – $75.49 case of twelve
This fantastic bargain white is crisp and dry and versatile. Portugal wins the value award once again.
2013 Gamay Rosé (Cour de Rohan)
Sale Price $7.99 – $86.29 case of twelve
The time has come for a rosé wine of the month. Cour de Rohan comes from the Loire Valley and is spicy and dry with gentle hints of raspberry fruit and minerals.
2013 Cirò Rosato (Librandi)
Le Poussin
Basque hero Juan Sebastián Elcano graces the label of Ametzoi’s wines. All he did was complete the first circumnavigation after Magellan’s untimely demise. For several years this light, lively, and fizzy rosé has been a favorite of ours. We suggest serving it with all things shellfish, it being especially good with cracked crab.
If you love white Burgundy and have been priced out of the Meursault-Chassagne-Puligny market, then we suggest this near equivalent. The French wine authorities fused the villages of Viré and Clessé to create a super appellation in the Macon, and the first superstar of Viré-Clessé is Pascal Bonhomme. His 2012 is a rich, concentrated Macon that shows some oak character, but is more focused on the ripe fruit and mineral side of French Chardonnay.
Sicily continues to surprise with new yet old and interesting grapes and wines. This month’s new white is an organic offering from Valdibella and the grape is the extra lucido Catarratto. This generous white has ripe apricot fruitiness along with a striking earthy dryness. Have this full flavored white with a grilled swordfish, preserved lemon, and bitter greens.
