The Madness of March!

Altos de la Hoya d.o. jumilla 2008 monastrell
Altos de la Hoya is a classic "bracket buster." Not everyone is familiar with their game, in this case their grape, and perhaps may discount them before giving them a shot: big mistake. When they take over the game in the 4th quarter with a dazzling display of fruit and earth balanced with acidity to make the trifecta, it will be too late! Scouting Report: The grape Monastrell is perhaps better known as Mourvèdre. The variety was probably introduced to Catalonia by the Phoenicians in around 500 BCE, came to France sometime after the 16th Century and made it to Southern California in the 1860s. Altos de la Hoya starts out with a gorgeous nose of earthiness and briar/garrique balanced with spicy plum notes and peppered red fruits. The palate starts soft and silky with bright cherry fruit flavors but has a nice mid-layer of acidity. The fruit comes to the fore again in the finish with a chorus of cherries,berries, fruit roll-up, and wonderful spiciness (sea salt, white pepper). Very food-friendly, this would pair beautifully with lighter beef dishes, pizza (think thick sauce and mushrooms, meats), barbecued meats and charcuterie in general.

$9.99 750ml [377934] 

Bodegas La n 2004 Culmen Reserva  d.o. Rioja
Definitely one of the teams to watch in the tourney, the press has already latched onto this wine-- and for good reason. This Spanish superstar is a dual threat: from beyond the arc the grace and style is clearly evident but Lan also has the power to drive to the hoop. Well-rounded with the 'A game' always on display, Wine Spectator obviously agrees.

WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - “This beautiful modern red offers a velvety texture supported by ripe, well-integrated tannins and plenty of sweet toasty oak. Plum and boysenberry fruit is ripe and fresh. Very expressive, yet with great concentration. Mineral and tobacco notes add complexity. Powerful and complete. Drink now through 2025. 750 cases made

$64.99 750ml [378245] 

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] 

ANDRE ET MAREILE TISSOT BRUT CREMANT DU JURA
From France’s remote region of the Jura, sandwiched between Burgundy and Switzerland, comes the biodynamic (a vigorous form of organic viticulture) estate of André et Mireille Tissot. David Schildknecht, of The Wine Advocate, calls the estate’s sparkling wine “...among the finest traditional method sparklers for the money grown anywhere in the world.”  We might even go so far as to say that, outside of Champagne, it is probably the finest French sparkling wine we’ve ever encountered.

Produced in the classic, bottle-fermented method, Tissot’s Crémant de Jura is comprised of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir. An aromatic dead-ringer for good Champagne, the wine has, nonetheless, its own distinctive Jurassien personality—with a nose of toasted semolina, lemon oil, cider, baker’s yeast and apricot pith, it expands beautifully on the palate with almonds, walnuts and orchard fruits, underscored by more lemons, chalk and a deliciously persistent, salty minerality. Very Brut with only .6% of residual sugar, this outstanding sparkler is an 'as good as it gets' short top-flight grower Champagne and is a remarkable discovery to say the least.

$22.98 750ml [325677] 

ULYSSEE COLIN (2005) EXTRA BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS
A protege and former apprentice of Anselme Selosse, Oliver Collin is one of Champagne’s most passionate and charismatic grower-producers. This Blanc de Blancs is only Oliver’s second commercial vintage but it’s a knockout nonetheless. It is a product of the 2005 vintage made entirely from a special two-and-a-half acre plot called “Les Perrieres” whose Chardonnay vine’s age averages 30 years. The site slopes to the southeast and features thin topsoil over a foundation of soft chalk and carbonated silex- a rare combination in Champagne. Collin farms organically and keeps yields exceedingly low to better express the vineyard’s terrior. The grapes were pressed in a traditional (1950s era) Coquard Press and were slowly fermented with indigenous yeasts over a three month period. Elevage took place in seasoned (5-year-old) Burgundian barrels for 12 months and was neither fined nor filtered prior to bottling. This ’05 was disgorged without dosage after two and one-half years on the yeast- six months less than the time required for an official vintage Champagne designation. These practices have wrought a stunningly fresh Chardonnay Champagne that deftly juxtaposes intense fruit, vivid acidity and light oak with a distinctive streak of sea shell-like minerality. Antonio Gallioni, of the The Wine Advocate, is spot on with his glowing remarks: “[It] is a striking wine loaded with a mineral-laced expression of Chardonnay fruit. This taut, focused wine reveals a notable inner tension, showing awesome focus and clarity. Notes of salinity on the finish recall great Chablis…93 Points.”

$64.98 750ml [325679]