Newsletter
October 22, 2020 – November 14, 2020
Vino Nobile
2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Fattoria del Cerro)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
We return to one of our favorite writers, Victor Hazan, from his book Italian Wine: “In its force, its weight, its overbearing style (one might say its arrogance), Vino Nobile is the quintessential Tuscan red wine. Like its kindred wines, it derives its lineage from the Sangiovese grape and carries with it the family graces and blemishes.” When first opened, this excellent and affordable Vino Nobile shows its tannic strength, but after a few hours its elegance emerges. Great with a lasagna or a saucy stew of pork and beans.
Organic Nero
2018 Nero d’Avola (Feudo Montoni)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 of twelve
Organic Rhône
2018 Côtes du Rhône (Domaine La Manarine)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Made with organically grown Grenache, La Manarine’s Côtes du Rhône has textbook aromas and flavors of black olives and ‘garrigue,’ the mixture of wild herbs growing in abundance along the Mediterranean Coast. It’s neither fined nor filtered, allowing a full and vibrant expression of the grape. Need to put those overripe tomatoes to use? Make a tomato, zucchini, and eggplant tian and enjoy with a bottle of this delightful and easy-going red.
Tintilla
2015 Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz ‘Vara y Pulgar’ (Compañía del Vinos del Atlantico)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
This savory red comes from rescued pre-phylloxera cuttings of Tintilla in Jerez, Spain’s famed sherry region. Thanks to genetic testing, Tintilla is now recognized as the same grape as Graciano, which is usually blended into the wines of Rioja. Alberto Orte, however, found his organically grown Tintilla grapes to be worthy of their own dedicated wine. Perhaps the chalky albariza soil in which sherry’s main grape, Palomino, thrives in has something to do with it. The result is a balanced, full-bodied red with aromas of meat, tobacco, and dark chocolate. It has a finish that won’t quit and as it opens up, the Vara y Pulgar develops an appealing juiciness. It’s smooth with enough dark fruit and herbs to take on a classic spicy merguez and lentils dish.
Platon
2018 Bordeaux Rouge (Château Platon)
Sale Price $12.99 – $132.50 case of twelve
A Friendly Barolo
2016 Barolo (Marengo)
Sale Price $44.99 – $458.90 case of twelve
Listed prices are honored through November 14th, 2020. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 44, No. 11
Closerie des Alisiers’ lively unoaked Mâcons are some of our best values in Chardonnay. The 2018 from Milly-Lamartine is a classic Mâcon with crisp apple fruit and a bone-dry finish. Have this with a chicken stew with mushrooms. 
For the last couple of vintages we’ve had trouble keeping Pietradolce wines in the store. Their impressive red made from Nerello Mascalese is equally matched by their terrific white made from Carricante. Because there is always less of the white available, we grabbed 15 cases of the recently released 2019 at the first opportunity. Grapes for this wine were grown on the surprisingly cool northern slope of Mount Etna at 800 meters in elevation. Because it’s an active volcano, the wine has a pronounced minerality amidst the delicious apricot and citrus fruits. Try this with a seared swordfish dish accented by olives, capers, and lemon. 
We were a little over-enthusiastic when we made this our first red Greek Wine of the Month. Nonetheless, it’s a really good red for pizza, pasta, cheeses, and grilled meats. And now it’s a fantastic value. 
This brand new format of one of Jasper Hill Farm’s most popular cheeses (one we ALWAYS have in stock) ups the delight factor just a little. Each piece is a manageable 5 ounces—perfect for one or two people—as opposed to the traditional 9 ounce size. The wheel still comes wrapped in a strip of spruce bark, which contains the gooey cow’s milk cheese inside and also adds to the flavor complexity. Open it up, grab a spoon, slather on a baguette, and enjoy.
Forgive us for featuring this cheese yet again, but it truly does meet the definition of crowd pleaser. The soft and buttery cow’s milk delight from France has perhaps the silkiest texture we’ve ever encountered in a cheese, thanks to the unique microfiltration method utilized by the producer. When the milk is filtered in this way before inoculation, the fats and proteins are concentrated so that the resulting cheese is richer and more flavorful. While it lacks the earthiness and complexity of true brie, there is still plenty to like.
Another old favorite returns. We consider this one of the best bries you can find on this side of the pond. It is almost as good and complex as the real (unpasteurized) deal you can find in France, which is sadly illegal here since it doesn’t meet the 60 day aging requirement of raw milk cheeses set by the FDA. Ferme de Jouvence is one of the rare small farmstead (meaning they make cheese from their own herd of cows) cheesemakers in France who exports their products, so this is miles from the generic, flavorless slabs of “brie" sold in the grocery store. When ripe and the flavors are more developed, this is complex, rich, earthy, and mushroomy.
