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May Wine Specials
There are more outright great buys on the wine market today than at any time in recent memory--too many for us to even begin listing everything new we've been bringing into the store. From everyday table wines of quality, which we take special joy in finding, to gems like the Guigal St. Joseph in this newsletter, you can rely on us to offer top value for your wine-buying dollar. We're selling it for $65 a bottle, which is by far the best price you will find anywhere in the country and less than half of what vintages like the 2001 and 2004 cost. Think about it: four ribeyes and a bottle of Hardly Burgundy, or hamburgers and a bottle of Giacomo Conterno's Barolo. Fire up the burgers, honey! Kenwood Red Table Wine 2005 (California) Is there a better California bargain red on the market? Kenwood's 2005 Table Red is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Barbera, fermented separately and then aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. Such care and attention accounts for its selection as one of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Best Buys for 2008. This juicy, spicy, medium-bodied red, layered with dark fruit aromas and flavors, simply delivers loads of red-wine enjoyment at about as small a price as you will find from a bona fide California estate. Works out to $5.83 a bottle if you buy a case! Uby Cotes de Gascogne Colombard/Ugni Blanc 2008 (France) Last year, Uby was one of our most popular whites, its availability falling far short of the demand. Well, Uby is finally back, supply is good, and the price hasn't changed. Where the 2007 vintage flaunted a vibrant Granny Smith apple and lime zest personality, the 2008 shows the rounder shoulders of lemon custard and Red Delicious apples. Fresh and bright, this light, quintessential summer white pairs nicely with the easy patio fare of the season or as a refreshing sipper. At $72, this is definitely a by-the-case purchase. Bieler Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rose "Sabine" 2008 (France) The roses of Provence are among the lightest, most delicate of all French pink wines. Generally light orange in color, they tend to be subtle, dry, and understated, far less fruity than a Tavel, Anjou, or something from the Languedoc region. The Bielers are an American family, ever mindful of the tastes of their prime market, and their delicious "Sabine" always offers a bit more fruit than you would expect from a typical Provencal rose. It shows a nice mix of strawberry, rhubarb, and pie cherry aromas with good acidity on the palate, making it an even-tempered partner for a variety of dishes, no matter the season. Delas Cotes du Rhone "Saint-Esprit" 2007 (France)
"The amazing 2007 Cotes du Rhone St.-Esprit (75% Syrah and 25% Grenache) reveals a northern Rhone orientation, but it is loaded with spice and black fruits, and displays a beautiful opulent texture as well as a gorgeous finish with impressive purity. The good news is that there are about 1,500 cases of this cuvee." RP Conclass Rueda Verdejo 2007 (Spain) This is one of those bank-error-in-your-favor-collect-$200 types of wine. Apparently, the Spanish producer shipped the wrong, albeit more expensive, wine to Colorado and took a big hit to reconcile the problem, allowing our friendly local distributor to pass along substantial savings to us. Verdejo is the jewel of Rueda winemaking, a grape that might remind you of Sauvignon Blanc. This particular version is intense! Huge aromas of lime, lemon, melon, and fresh hay burst out of the glass, followed by a laser-like wave of like flavors that finish pleasingly long. Pure, dry, very crisp, and endowed with a memorable personality, this medium-weight white is the p/q pick of the newsletter! Lenotti Valpolicella Classico 2007 (Italy) If you are looking for something a bit different in red wine, Lenotti's 2007 Valpolicella Classico may interest you. A blend of Corvina (60%), Rondinella (35%), and Molinara (5%), this lighter-bodied red comes from grapes grown in the Valpolicella zone northwest of Verona and made at the winery in Bardolino on the shores of magnificent Lake Garda. An amazing bouquet of flower blossoms, sweet pomegranate, and red cherries closed this wine's deal before I even took a sip! The palate shows vibrant fruit, notable freshness, weight on the light side of medium, and a finish that I usually find in a wine two notches above this modest price. You'll be drawn back to the glass time and again as the wine simply refuses to reveal all of itself at once. This is not another softly textured, grapey fruit bomb--quite the opposite, really, which makes it a versatile companion to just about any summer dish requiring a friendly red.
Lagaria Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2007 (Italy)
"The 2007 Pinot Grigio offers pretty aromatics and well-articulated fruit in a lush style, with good persistence and clean finish." The Wine Advocate There's always room for another solid Italian Pinot Grigio, especially one that returns change from a ten-dollar bill. Guigal Saint-Joseph "Lieu Dit St. Joseph" 2006 (France)
"Full-bodied, rich, and pure, the 2006 Guigal St.-Joseph Lieu-Dit offers plenty of licorice, cassis, and blueberry notes, fresh acidity, a hint of tapenade, and a long finish. This beauty should evolve for 12-15+ years." RP To reserve wines, click here
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Case in point: on Thursday, May 7, we're expecting a case of one of Italy's most profound wines,
Giacomo Conterno's Barolo "Cascina Francia." The vintage is 2003, which was a challenging year for Piemontese winemakers, but in the hands of one of the premier Italian estates...well, let's let the Wine Advocate speak for us: "This deep, powerful Barolo reveals awesome richness...Simply put, this is a stunning Barolo. 94 points."
