Clos
du Marquis 2005 St. Julien
When it comes to storied traditions and
generations of high expectations and
excellence, Bordeaux is definitely an "East
Coast" elite zone (they are east of us
across the pond, after all) and always in
the running to be there in the end. Clos du
Marquis is the second label for St. Julien’s
renowned Léoville las Cases! The 2005 is a
superb rendition that pays homage to both
the vintage and the estate! For the record,
Hi-Time's own Chuck Hanson (our in-house
wine handicapper, as it were) scored it 20
out of 20 (old school scoring) during a
recent 2005 tasting!
ROBERT PARKER 89-91
POINTS - "As usual, this estate’s
second wine, the 2005 Clos du
Marquis, is top-flight. Possessing more
alcohol than the grand vin (13.45%), it
offers gorgeous purity, plenty of red and
black fruits, and a style similar to its
more famous sibling. Anticipated maturity:
2015-2035." Robert Parker 89-91 Points.
$59.95
750ml [374478]
Cave
de Lugny Chardonnay de Chardonnay
Regarding home court advantage, Cave de
Lugny's Chardonnay, from the village of
Chardonnay, birthplace of the Chardonnay
grape, is looking pretty good. 100% pure and
unoaked, this wine is full of fresh citrus
fruits, pear, apple and undertones of
croissant and mineral aromas. Crisp and
round, it has a light creamy texture on the
palate and an elegant, fruity finish. This
wine is full of delicious and pure
Chardonnay character and is definitely one
to watch in the "bracket buster" category.
$10.99
750ml [311340]
Previously Featured...
Like most wine enthusiasts, we’re
always on the lookout for a wine that over delivers. In fact,
customers routinely ask us for wines under $10 with a $15-$20
palate. Well, they’re usually tough to find but since the
economic slowdown we’re occasionally being offered those very
deals.
This past weekend we poured the
Pennautier red blend at our wine bar and customers raved about
it and those stacks at the front of our cellar disappeared soon
after. And if that isn’t enough to persuade you, our wine bar
manager, Todd Johnston, couldn’t stop talking about it. When it
comes to wine, Todd definitely puts his money where his mouth
is. We knew we’d be remiss if we didn’t bring it to your
attention.
As a whole bunch of customers
have confirmed, here’s a fantastic everyday wine that truly over
delivers at $8.99. Especially good with beef, lamb, poultry,
tarts and cheeses.
CHATEAU
PENNAUTIER 2007 CABARDES RED
BLEND
This estate
is located in the southern
French appellation of
Cabardes in Languedoc. The
warm Mediterranean climate
combined with the maritime
influences of the Atlantic
yield wines with ripe fruit
and ample structure. The
estates owners, Nicolas and
Miren de Lorgeril, make this
terrific red from equal
parts Cabernet, Cabernet
Franc and Merlot as well as
smaller percentages of Cot,
Grenache and Syrah. The wine
delivers a delicious melange
of red and black fruit
flavors along with some
surprising tannins that give
the wine excellent backbone
at this price.
$8.99
750ml [300017]
Chateau D'Oupia Minervois
Tradition is made from 100-plus-year-old Carignan vines, with
smaller amounts of Syrah and Grenache. The 2007 vintage in
southern France is a treasure-trove of complex,
satisfying red wine at affordable prices. At under $11, the D’Oupia Minervois is a proverbial “no-brainer” for the everyday
drinking red.
2007
CHATEAU D'OUPIA MINERVOIS
TRADITION
WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS
- "Iche has crafted a 2007
Minervois Tradition that
smells of ripe cassis and
black cherries tinged with
resinous herbs and bitter
fruit pit and toasted nuts,
elements that all contribute
to its almost
silken-textured palate
impression where one finds
underlying richness of
salted beef stock and dark
chocolate. In the best
manner of its vintage, we
have here a combination of
richness and elegance. The
finish of chocolate-covered
black fruits, bouillon, and
herbal concentrate is not in
the least superficially
sweet, but instead remains
possessed of real
refreshment, with the cyanic
note of cherry stone and
tincture of iodine offering
lasting, subtly bitter
counterpoint. This
exceptional value should be
a delight over at least the
next 2-3 years."
$10.99
750ml [305888]
CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE
2007 BEAUCASTEL
We were happy to find out
that the 2007 Beaucastel had arrived on
time to be included in this year’s
“Festival du Rhône” because it’s a superb
effort that speaks to both the incredible
quality of the 2007 vintage as well as the
commitment to excellence that has long
defined both the Perrin and Haas families.
Beaucastel is one of the most
traditionally produced wines of the
southern Rhône and over these many years
we’ve had numerous bottles of aged
Beaucastel that have pleasurably captured
the essence of this great region time and
time again. In a way, Beaucastel’s
successful consistency has so come to be
expected that we often forget how truly
great wines from the estate are! Inky,
full-bodied and powerful, this is your
quintessential vin de garde that will
surely benefit from a 3-5 year respite in
your cellar or wine refrigerator. After
all, what would a cavalcade of
Châteauneuf-du-Pape be without an
appearance from the renowned and venerable
Beaucastel!
ROBERT PARKER 96
POINTS - "Beaucastel’s 2007
Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out even
better out of bottle than I predicted. An
inky/ruby/purple color is followed by a
glorious nose of blue and black fruits,
truffles, pen ink, licorice, and meat
juices as well as glorious levels of
acidity and sweet tannin, buttressing the
fruit’s fabulous freshness and vibrancy.
This full-bodied effort still displays
considerable tannin, no doubt because of
the relatively high Mourvedre content. It
should resolve its tannins in 2-4 years,
and last for 25 or more."
$99.95
750ml
[307703]
LYNCH BAGES 2006
PAUILLAC
What's December without Lynch
Bages? The 2006 Lynch represents, to us, a
bit of a return to its roots in that it's a
traditionally-styled effort with a bit of
girth and cut reminiscent of older Lynch
Bages from such hallowed vintages as 1986 or
1988. This perennial blue-chip has turned in
what we think is one of their best
performances in a while that's more
classically Pauillac/Bordeaux with an
emphasis on terroir and structure. Parker
awarded it 92 points noting, "...a dense,
purple-colored wine displaying notes of
crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice,
cedar and graphite with a muscular
personality but beautiful fruit on the
attack as well as an alluring purity and a
nicely textured mouthfeel." This is 'old
school' Lynch, for sure, that demands a bit
of patience and time in the cellar but we
think it's potentially great as well as
somewhat underscored.
ROBERT PARKER 92
POINTS - "1988 or 1995-ish in
style, rather than 1996, which seems to be
the vintage several 2006s recall, this dense
purple-colored wine displays sweet notes of
creme de cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice, and
some cedar and graphite. The wine has plenty
of structure a la 1995 and a backward,
muscular personality, but beautiful fruit on
the attack and alluring purity and a nicely
textured mouthfeel. The finish suggests
cellaring for 3-5 years and drinking over
the following two decades."
$95.00
750ml [368060]
CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE
2007 SOLITUDE
This property tends to
produce traditionally fashioned Chateauneuf
and their 2007 (55% Grenache, 30% Syrah and
15% Mourvedre) is a complete and
overwhelming success! For sure, it’s the
best Solitude we’ve encountered and we’ve
followed this domaine pretty regularly going
back to the 1990 vintage. Parker notes, “a
dense, ruby purple color followed by a
sensational perfume of kirsch, cassis
liqueur, plums, licorice, roasted herbs and
meat juices.” He goes on to comment,
“Seriously endowed, full-bodied, broad,
savory and layered, this is a huge, rich,
massive wine that will benefit from 2-3
years cellaring and last for two decades or
more.” We agree with Parker that it’s one of
the top sleepers of the vintage and, if
you’re into points, it carries one of the
vintage’s top score/ price ratios!
ROBERT PARKER 93
POINTS - "The deeply-colored 2007
Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 55%
Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre aged
80% in tank and 20% in small barrels. The
2007 is the finest traditional Chateauneuf
since the glorious 1967. Its dense
ruby/purple color is followed by a
sensational perfume of kirsch, cassis
liqueur, plums, licorice, roasted herbs, and
meat juices. Seriously endowed, full-bodied,
broad, savory, and layered, this is a huge,
rich, massive wine that will benefit from
2-3 years of cellaring, and last for two
decades or more. A sleeper of the vintage,
it is one of the region’s best bargains if
measuring dollars per points."
$36.99
750ml [347886]
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Hi-Time Wine Cellars | 250 Ogle Street | Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Store Hours: Sunday 10am -6pm | Mon-Wed 9am-7pm | Thurs-Sat 9am-9pm