Newsletter
March 18, 2024 – April 17, 2024
Old Vine Muscadet
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine ‘Péninsula’ (Gadais)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
When the Gadais clan says Vieilles Vignes they mean it. Their Péninsula vineyard, located at the confluence of the Sèvre and Maine rivers, was planted in 1929. These old vines draw mineral flavors from the rocky soil while the sunny 2020 vintage gave a richness of fruit and a deep, long finish. A perfect wine for all fish and shellfish.
Bianco=Weiss
2022 Pinot Bianco/Weissburgunder (St. Michael-Eppan)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
The Alto Adige is an amazingly productive source of high-quality yet very affordable wine. Last month we featured the Grigio/Nero combination platter from Hofstätter. This month we have a fresh new vintage of Pinot Bianco/Weissburgunder from the excellent cooperative winery of St. Michael Eppan. The 2022 is one of the great bargains in the white wine marketplace. The balance between fruit and dryness is exquisite, plus it’s a dream to pair with all kinds of food.
Fizzy Basque Rosé
2023 Getariako Txakolina ‘Rubentis’ (Ameztoi)
Sale Price $24.99 – $254.90 case of twelve
This is our first of hopefully many shipments of the 2023 Rubentis from Ameztoi. This is about as fresh as a rosé can be drunk on this side of the Atlantic. The Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza grapes are hand harvested, pressed together, and fermented in a stainless steel vat for 20 days. The vat is then closed and cooled down to near freezing. This process captures the wine’s natural effervescence. This new vintage is a complete charmer.
Assyrtiko
2022 Assyrtiko ‘The North’ (Kir-Yianni)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
Pre-Tax Beaujolais
2022 Beaujolais (Domaine de la Prébende)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
This wine is made by the Dupeuble family who are steeped in Beaujolais. The Domaine sits on a location where monks used to collect taxes (une prébende) from the villagers. The organic vines used were planted in the 1930s, 40s, and 80s. The hand-harvested grapes are fermented naturally without any sulfur and no sulfites have been added to the finished wine. This is a gorgeously fruity and minerally Gamay that is not at all taxing to drink. Perfect for the ham and lamb of Easter. Don’t forget to invite a few monks.
* Weekly Wine Tastings *
* Note: we will not have a tasting on 4/10, as we will be hosting a special tasting on Tuesday 4/9 with Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent Winery. See the St. Innocent entry inside for more.
Listed prices are honored through April 17th, 2024. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 48, No. 4
We’ve long been fans of St. Innocent, and now we’re thrilled to report that owner/winemaker Mark Vlossak will soon be visiting, pouring a variety of his wines during a tasting here from 5 to 7 pm on Tuesday April 9th. In the meantime, we’re featuring the delicious 2022 Villages Cuvée. This is a blend designed for early drinking, yet is crafted from premium vineyards. With Easter approaching this will be a fine match with the traditional ham and lamb… and of course Pacific Northwest salmon. 
They only make this cuvée in the best years, and the 2019 is drinking beautifully now with its oaky aromas, dark fruit, and earthy, dry finish. 
The improvements made in Tuscan viticulture over the last forty years led the Italian wine authorities to create a new, highest denominazione for Chianti Classico called Gran Selezione. To qualify, producers are required to use only grapes that they grow themselves. Ninety percent of the blend has to be Sangiovese and the other ten percent must be from native vines, meaning no Cabernet or Merlot. Plus, the wine must be aged at least 30 months before release. This has allowed some well-known Classico producers to create extremely expensive Gran Selezione to top off their portfolios. Podere il Palazzino has changed little, including the price, about their Argenina vineyard Chianti Classico even as it has evolved into a Gran Selezione level wine. The 2018 is a full-bodied Sangiovese with lively cedar aromas, bold cherry fruit, and gripping, dry tannins. A perfect Tuscan red for a grilled porterhouse. 
The hilltop town of Sancerre is the bustling center of an extremely successful appellation. Not far away in a side valley is the less active village of Chavignol. Nestled at the base of the great Les Monts Damnés vineyard, Chavignol is home to several of Sancerre’s best producers. Like all of Sancerre, the price has crept up over the years, but the steep and chalky Monts Damnés always delivers world-class Sauvignon Blanc. Our favorite is the old fashioned version from Thomas-Labaille. A great wine for shellfish. 
This is usually Saint Damien’s entry-level Gigondas, but in the yield-challenged 2021 vintage, it became their only Gigondas. The single-vineyard bottlings Louisiane and Souteyrades were blended in so the proprietor could have a marketable quantity of Vieille Vignes Gigondas. This superb wine fires on all the Southern Rhône cylinders with its plum and lavender aromas, leather and olive flavors, and overall mouth-filling deliciousness. This is the one for lamb. 
2022 Côtes de Gascogne Blanc (Saint-Lannes)
2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Castle Rock)