Wine Club

BROADSIDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON PASO ROBLES

Grape Varietal: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot, 3% Petite Sirah
Origin: Paso Robles, California

Paso Robles continues to be one of the hottest AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in California-- and for good reason. They are making phenomenal wines of differing varietals in a range of styles and prices with quality standing out as the hallmark. Our Wine of the Month for March is a great example. We have featured different vintages of the Broadside Paso Cab as our wine of the month before-- and as long as they keep making stellar wines they will always be on our radar. Once again, Broadside earned this accolade in the glass!

Sourced from sustainably farmed, SIP certified vineyards in San Luis Obisbo County, the Broadside is comprised of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 3% Petit Sirah. 13.5% alcohol by volume. What is SIP Certified? Sustainability In Practice (SIP) Certified is a sustainable certification program for winegrowers and winemakers. SIP Certified brands use third-party verified sustainable practices so you can feel confident your wine protects the people and the planet.

The nose is loaded with ripe red fruits, notes of savory spices, cedar plank, rosebush and garden loam. The palate continues the theme with bright red and darker berries, raspberries, cherries and boysenberries, joined by excellent body, medium tannins and forward acidity-- this keeps the wine balanced and harmonious. The body, the grip and cutting nature of the acids and tannins, keeps the wine from going overboard with the ripe fruits-- this tempers the wine perfectly and makes it excellent with or without food. Secondary nuances of mixed spices, cacao, rosebush and light earth make the fruit flavors shine even brighter. Hard to believe this is only $12.95!! This is solid wine-- it's eminently drinkable now and will elevate any grilled meats, burgers, sausage pizza, heartier vegetarian fare, hard cheeses, charcuterie.

CIACCI PICCOLOMINI 2024 ROSSO TOSCANA IGT

Grape Varietal: Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: IGT Toscana, Italy

Practicing Organic Farming

Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona is a mouthful of a name, not uncommon for Italian nobility, but a name that Italian wine drinkers know on sight. Their Brunello di Montalcinos are highly regarded, among the ultimate expressions of the Sangiovese grape. But everyday situations call for a quaffable wine with little pretense, and which is also flexible as a food partner. Enter their delightful everyday Rosso Toscana!

This Montalcino wine is simply called a "Tuscan red" partly because it has varieties other than Sangiovese, though there's still enough of that variety's character shining through so that it comes off like a local rather than a tourist. Neither are there any oak flavors, which can be overbearing in a wine like this; it was aged only in glass-lined concrete.

With air, the wine blooms, becoming plump and juicy, with a medium body and a vibrancy that gives the wine a fresh, rather than heavy, feel. The flavors are driven by soft red fruits mingling with violet and some spice and terracotta earthy accents. The mouth-feel features a mouthwatering bed of tannin that seems to melt in the mouth and a dry but easy-going, ripely-fruited finish. While you can enjoy this on its own, it will be shine with a variety of Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

While the estate itself is centuries old, its recent history makes for the best part of its story: the last Countess had no heir, and so left everything to the humble vineyard manager, who shaped it into the Montalcino icon it is today. His children took over a decade ago, and along with their children, continue to manage the winery today.

SURRAU 2024 NARACU CANNONAU

Grape Varietal: 100% Cannonau
Origin: Sardinia, Italy

This months pick is a delicious, easy-to-drink Mediterranean island red! Italy's Sardinia is famously a "blue zone," where healthy diets and less stressful environments meet. The local starring red grape, Cannonau, has played a big part in that story thanks to its touted high levels of antioxidants. The Surrau winery makes their outstanding-value "Naracu" Cannonau in a clean, unadulterated style that reflects their unique northeastern corner of Gallura with its sandy and gravelly granite soils.

Naracu is made in stainless steel for a purity of character: youthfully ebullient, and concentrated for its medium body, it generously washes across the palate with juicy, mineral-tinged cherry, vibrant raspberry and pomegranate along with fresh aromatic herbs and white pepper, and a bit of sun-kissed warmth on the refreshingly clean finish. It's a fantastic partner for a wide variety of tasty bites, like ragú alla bolognese, pork roasts, roasted vegetables, and aged pecorino cheese... don't forget the Mediterranean herbs! Serve at a cool 60F.

Naracu (or Nuraghe) are Bronze Age stone forts found all over the island, including the Surrau valley where the winery is located.

VINA COBOS 2022 COCODRILO

Grape Varietal: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot
Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "A polished and pretty red with some vanilla character intertwined with purple fruit. Medium to full body. Creamy texture."

WINE SPECTATOR 92 POINTS - "A medium-bodied red, with a graphite and cigar box underpinning to the generous core of plum and cassis, which lengthens around fresh acidity, adding notes of dried sage and anise on the long finish around precise tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah."

When visiting Argentina in 1989, winemaker Paul Hobbs (well-known for his Californian wineries and consulting projects) became enamored with its people, the culture and the huge potential for viticulture. He and his Argentine partners founded Viña Cobos and helped take winemaking in Argentina to a new level. He has had great success making premium priced wines and Cocodrilo demonstrates his ability to make a compelling Bordeaux-style blend at an affordable price. It is full-bodied with pure, concentrated fruit and is certain to please Paul Hobbs' many fans!

Wine Tip

Cocodrillo is definitely influenced by California, it is a little more fruit forward, juicier and polished than traditional Mendoza bottlings.

CHAVY CHOUET 2023 BOURGOGNE BLANC LES FEMELOTTES

Grape Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Origin: Bourgogne, France

This is a charming, rich, focused and delightful white. Medium-bodied with a smooth texture, the wine has a fresh backbone of acidity, clean apple and citrus flavors, and an excellent balance. A most refreshing quaff and one that is great value. A delicate, expressive wine of exceptional quality.

The grapes from this wine are grown from the Puligny-Montrachet area (either outside of the AOC limit or with younger vines). Aged 10 months in oak barrels (10% new, the rest in 2-3 year old barrels).

DOMAINE SOLITUDE 2024 COTES DU RHONE BLANC

Grape Varietal: 70% White Grenache, 15% Roussanne, 15% Viognier
Origin: Southern Rhone, France

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS - "A very bright and fresh style with white-peach and apple-blossom aromas that leap out of the glass at you. Lovely lemony freshness makes this feel medium-bodied. Some saltiness in the vivid finish. A cuvee based on grenache blanc with roussanne and a touch of viognier. Drink or hold."

The Wine Estate "Domaine de la Solitude" belongs to one of the oldest families of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, whose roots go back to the 15th century. In the 17th century, Hélène BARBERINI, a descendant of the illustrious Tuscan family of the same name, married Claude MARTIN, owner of a vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Their grandson would give a huge boost to "La Solitude" by creating the first label for the Appellation. Thus, "le Vin de la Solitude" became a symbol of quality and began to be exported, allowing a great terroir to come into its own. Eight generations later the Estate is still a family affair and is now run by Florent LANÇON.