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August Taster's Advantage
2 Bottles of red wine (tax & shipping not included) Bisci 2015 Fogliani Rosso, Marche, Italy Grape Variety: 80% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese Origin: Matelica, Marche, Italy We are proud to feature an Italian winery that, though relatively small, many Italian wine lovers know well. The Bisci winery and vineyards lie in the central Italian region called Le Marche (MAR-kay), which doesn't benefit from the fame of tourist hotspots like the (understandably) romanticized hills of Chianti. Instead, they've built up recognition for the small Matelica Valley growing region by making high-quality whites and reds at reasonable prices, and letting word of mouth do the rest. Tucked away from Mediterranean influence, the inland valley has a more dramatic climate, yielding wines of great structure and restrained fruit ripeness. Sourced from only 5-acres of organically farmed vineyards, the Rosso Fogliano is a classic Marche mixture of plump and plummy Merlot with the bright cherry and dried herbs of Sangiovese. Like many Italian wines, it really shines with a good meal! Aromas of firm plum and red cherry with dried herbs create an enticing perfume; in the mouth, the gentle, fine-grained tannin and earthy-herbal qualities provide a firm ground for the silky-textured fruit to splash upon. The medium-bodied weight is a seamless balance of plumpness and firm, fresh acidity. The wine finishes with a moderate length, favoring those earthy-herbal qualities meshed with an almost cordial-like density of cherry and plum. No oak was used in making the wine. This is perfect for dishes with cooked tomato and sausage with rosemary, but will be a flexible partner with a variety of Mediterranean dishes. Buon appetito! Wine Tip: Another beautiful expression of Merlot. Yes it is a fantastic grape variety and here is one of the many proof. Enjoy Andau 2014 Blaufrankisch, Burgenland Austria Grape Variety: 100% blaufrankisch Origin: Burgenland, Austria This is 100% Blaufrankisch with an old world style. We blinded some people on our staff on this ruby-garnet colored red, and they all thought it was Langhe Nebbiolo. Elegant, light-bodied, with hints of forest floor, truffle and blackberry. We recommend chilling this slightly and then enjoying with a hunk of bread, some brie-like cheese and prosciutto. Enjoy now. A great picnic wine with finesse. Wine Tip: I highly recommend to chill this bottle a little bit. I had the chance to try it at different temperature and the wine was different personnalities. If you want a rustic and earthy wine that you want to pair for example with a mushroom risotto, duck ragu or some charcuterie, try it around 66 degree Fahrenheit. At this temperature the wine will show some delicious aromas of dry cranberries and dusty tannins that are just delicious. If you are looking for something a little bit more sour fresh and youthful, chill it a little bit more and the wine will be more generous and gentle with tons of sour cherries and blackcurrant. Take your time when you open it and you will be rewarded with a delicious treat, the wine show some reduction on the nose but nothing that some air can’t fix.
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1 Bottles of red wine and 1 bottle of white wine (tax & shipping not included) Andau 2014 Blaufrankisch, Burgenland Austria Grape Variety: 100% blaufrankisch Origin: Burgenland, Austria This is 100% Blaufrankisch with an old world style. We blinded some people on our staff on this ruby-garnet colored red, and they all thought it was Langhe Nebbiolo. Elegant, light-bodied, with hints of forest floor, truffle and blackberry. We recommend chilling this slightly and then enjoying with a hunk of bread, some brie-like cheese and prosciutto. Enjoy now. A great picnic wine with finesse. Wine Tip: I highly recommend to chill this bottle a little bit. I had the chance to try it at different temperature and the wine was different personnalities. If you want a rustic and earthy wine that you want to pair for example with a mushroom risotto, duck ragu or some charcuterie, try it around 66 degree Fahrenheit. At this temperature the wine will show some delicious aromas of dry cranberries and dusty tannins that are just delicious. If you are looking for something a little bit more sour fresh and youthful, chill it a little bit more and the wine will be more generous and gentle with tons of sour cherries and blackcurrant. Take your time when you open it and you will be rewarded with a delicious treat, the wine show some reduction on the nose but nothing that some air can’t fix. Hofer 2017 Gruner Veltliner "Hum" Grape Variety: 100% Gruner Veltliner Origin: Austria Liquid Air Conditioning in a bottle! A cool white for hot nights. Looking for a gluggable, chuggable, carefree sipper to get you through the hot August days and a long Indian summer? Did we mention it's also Certified Organic and comes in a Liter bottle? The Hofer HUM 2017 Gruner Veltliner was an instant hit in late Spring when we first introduced this dry white to our customers. It shows well with pear, lemon and then a spicy endnote, which, in Grüner Veltliner, is often described as white pepper. It matches well with fish, chicken, dishes with tomatoes and spicy foods. It also is the perfect foil to many vegetable dishes. The Hofer family farms vineyards in Auersthal, a tiny wine village in the Weinviertel, just beyond Vienna’s northern suburbs. The gently rolling hills in in this village are made up of deep loess soils and are planted predominantly to Grüner Veltliner, which is Austria’s signature white grape. Gruner Veltliner has become popular with many foodies and Sommeliers because of its food pairing versatility. The 2017 Hofer is clean, bright, sunny. It comes in a liter bottle 1L, which is one-third more than a standard bottle of wine (750 ml). But honestly, this is a serious white wine that we wouldn't mind paying $20 for, since it effortlessly punches above its class. It also makes for a light quaffer at 12.5% alcohol. The Hofers have practiced organic agriculture since the 1990s and, in 2001, have been a member of Bio-Ernte, which is not only organic, but exceeds the EU guidelines for organic agriculture. Wine reviewer, Stephan Reinhardt for The Wine Advocate is also a fan of the Hofer winery and writes - "Based in Auersthal, just 20 kilometers away from Vienna 's northern suburbs, Weingut H. und M. Hofer farms 20 hectares of vines, mostly Grüner Veltliner (53%). Seventy percent of the production is white and all of the vineyards are cultivated organic in a fairly dry microclimate and on loess soils. Hermann Hofer aims to produce ‘unique and distinctive wines’ that reflect their soils, the climate and the vintage, as well as the people who manufacture them. The winemaking is rather conventional. The handpicked grapes are pressed after some hours on the skins, fermented in stainless steel and result in classic Weinviertler wines. The Veltliners are especially worth a try. They are very clear and fruity, fresh and well structured, and finish with a stimulating minerality. These are serious wines with food that do not cost a fortune, rather the opposite."
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2 Bottles of red wine (tax & shipping not included) Sassetti Montecucco 2015 La Querciolina, Italy Grape Variety: 100% Sangiovese Origin: Montecucco, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy La Querciolina's 2015 Montecucco Rosso (100% Sangiovese Grosso), a wine for crisp autumn nights and hearty foods. It is evocative of a nighttime stroll in the mediterranean scrubland ("le macchie") of the Southern Tuscan region, reflecting the darker side of the Sangiovese grape from which it is made. This high-quality wine from a great producer is a wonderful value for lovers of Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino! La Querciolina ("the little oak") comes from the Sassetti family, multi-generational vineyard owners and winemakers who began with the historically important Pertimali estate and its famous Brunello di Montalcino. As soon as the Southern Tuscan region of Montecucco became an official wine appellation in the late 1990s, the Sassettis saw the potential for making great quality wine at fair prices and purchased the Querciolina farm, rehabilitating the vineyards according to their experienced methods. The resulting style of the wine owes a lot to the climate and terrain of the Montecucco region, which is distinct from the Montalcino wines to its north (which are in turn distinct from the wines of the classic Chianti region to its north). The estate farms organically, uses native yeast fermentation, and ages the wine for 12 months in traditional, large 3000 liter oak barrels made from subtle Slavonian oak. The wine leads with a classic Tuscan incense-like perfume of dried herbal leaves (like bay/laurel), moderately dark fruits like black cherry & Damson plum, spice notes like black peppercorn, and subtle oak & vanillin. In the mouth, the wine is medium-full bodied, robed in plentiful crushed velvet tannins with an earthy & licorice-like sweetness in the finish. This texture begs for the cuisine of the region: rich, meat-sauced pastas (like wild boar ragu'), braised short ribs, and herbed spelt/farro or lentil soups. Wine Tip: An alternative for Brunello di Montalcino at a very reasonable price. Hartford Court 2017 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir Origin: Russian River Valley, California It's hard to find a better Russian River Valley Pinot Noir for the money than this one right here! This bottling is a melange of fruit from several key and distinct vineyards from across the valley. In fact, much of this wine is comprised of barrels from their single-vineyard program! JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "A crazy good value, the 2017 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is the appellation release from this team, and it comes from all of the estate vineyards across the Green Valley, Laguna Ridge, and Sebastopol regions. Complex notes of strawberries, cranberries, violets, pine forest, and flowers all flow to a medium-bodied Pinot Noir that has a kiss of salinity and marine notes, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This beautiful wine competes with wines costing 2-3 times the price."
Wine Tip: I don’t pick a lot of Californian wines because they are usually overpriced. Sometimes you can find a delicious bottle at a very reasonable price. And this month it turns out to be this wonderful Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley.
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1 Bottle of red wine and 1 bottle of white wine (tax & shipping not included) Sassetti Montecucco 2015 La Querciolina, Italy Grape Variety: 100% Sangiovese Origin: Montecucco, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy La Querciolina's 2015 Montecucco Rosso (100% Sangiovese Grosso), a wine for crisp autumn nights and hearty foods. It is evocative of a nighttime stroll in the mediterranean scrubland ("le macchie") of the Southern Tuscan region, reflecting the darker side of the Sangiovese grape from which it is made. This high-quality wine from a great producer is a wonderful value for lovers of Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino! La Querciolina ("the little oak") comes from the Sassetti family, multi-generational vineyard owners and winemakers who began with the historically important Pertimali estate and its famous Brunello di Montalcino. As soon as the Southern Tuscan region of Montecucco became an official wine appellation in the late 1990s, the Sassettis saw the potential for making great quality wine at fair prices and purchased the Querciolina farm, rehabilitating the vineyards according to their experienced methods. The resulting style of the wine owes a lot to the climate and terrain of the Montecucco region, which is distinct from the Montalcino wines to its north (which are in turn distinct from the wines of the classic Chianti region to its north). The estate farms organically, uses native yeast fermentation, and ages the wine for 12 months in traditional, large 3000 liter oak barrels made from subtle Slavonian oak. The wine leads with a classic Tuscan incense-like perfume of dried herbal leaves (like bay/laurel), moderately dark fruits like black cherry & Damson plum, spice notes like black peppercorn, and subtle oak & vanillin. In the mouth, the wine is medium-full bodied, robed in plentiful crushed velvet tannins with an earthy & licorice-like sweetness in the finish. This texture begs for the cuisine of the region: rich, meat-sauced pastas (like wild boar ragu'), braised short ribs, and herbed spelt/farro or lentil soups. Wine Tip: An alternative for Brunello di Montalcino at a very reasonable price. Henri Boillot 2017 Bourgogne Blanc, France Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay Origin: Burgundy, France BURGHOUND - "Outstanding Top Value* (50% from Meursault vines and the rest from declassified St. Romain and Auxey-Duresses in equal proportions) A fresh and ripe nose of pear and orange peel exhibits touches of the exotic. There is excellent underlying tension to the punchy flavors that possess unusually good volume while delivering equally fine length. This is impressive for its level and highly recommended." Wine Tip: It can sometimes be challenging to find a very good burgundy white under $30. I am talking the kind of wine that surprise you in a very good way. 2017 is an impressive vintage in Burgundy and this “entry level” chardonnay is definitely a beautiful example of it.
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2 Bottles of white wine (tax & shipping not included) Henri Boillot 2017 Bourgogne Blanc, France Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay Origin: Burgundy, France BURGHOUND - "Outstanding Top Value* (50% from Meursault vines and the rest from declassified St. Romain and Auxey-Duresses in equal proportions) A fresh and ripe nose of pear and orange peel exhibits touches of the exotic. There is excellent underlying tension to the punchy flavors that possess unusually good volume while delivering equally fine length. This is impressive for its level and highly recommended." Wine Tip: It can sometimes be challenging to find a very good burgundy white under $30. I am talking the kind of wine that surprise you in a very good way. 2017 is an impressive vintage in Burgundy and this “entry level” chardonnay is definitely a beautiful example of it. Hofer 2017 Gruner Veltliner "Hum" Grape Variety: 100% Gruner Veltliner Origin: Austria Liquid Air Conditioning in a bottle! A cool white for hot nights. Looking for a gluggable, chuggable, carefree sipper to get you through the hot August days and a long Indian summer? Did we mention it's also Certified Organic and comes in a Liter bottle? The Hofer HUM 2017 Gruner Veltliner was an instant hit in late Spring when we first introduced this dry white to our customers. It shows well with pear, lemon and then a spicy endnote, which, in Grüner Veltliner, is often described as white pepper. It matches well with fish, chicken, dishes with tomatoes and spicy foods. It also is the perfect foil to many vegetable dishes. The Hofer family farms vineyards in Auersthal, a tiny wine village in the Weinviertel, just beyond Vienna’s northern suburbs. The gently rolling hills in in this village are made up of deep loess soils and are planted predominantly to Grüner Veltliner, which is Austria’s signature white grape. Gruner Veltliner has become popular with many foodies and Sommeliers because of its food pairing versatility. The 2017 Hofer is clean, bright, sunny. It comes in a liter bottle 1L, which is one-third more than a standard bottle of wine (750 ml). But honestly, this is a serious white wine that we wouldn't mind paying $20 for, since it effortlessly punches above its class. It also makes for a light quaffer at 12.5% alcohol. The Hofers have practiced organic agriculture since the 1990s and, in 2001, have been a member of Bio-Ernte, which is not only organic, but exceeds the EU guidelines for organic agriculture. Wine reviewer, Stephan Reinhardt for The Wine Advocate is also a fan of the Hofer winery and writes - "Based in Auersthal, just 20 kilometers away from Vienna 's northern suburbs, Weingut H. und M. Hofer farms 20 hectares of vines, mostly Grüner Veltliner (53%). Seventy percent of the production is white and all of the vineyards are cultivated organic in a fairly dry microclimate and on loess soils. Hermann Hofer aims to produce ‘unique and distinctive wines’ that reflect their soils, the climate and the vintage, as well as the people who manufacture them. The winemaking is rather conventional. The handpicked grapes are pressed after some hours on the skins, fermented in stainless steel and result in classic Weinviertler wines. The Veltliners are especially worth a try. They are very clear and fruity, fresh and well structured, and finish with a stimulating minerality. These are serious wines with food that do not cost a fortune, rather the opposite."
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1 Bottle of Champagne (tax & shipping not included)
Champagne Andre Robert Jardin du Mesnil Grand Cru Brut Origin: Champagne,Ambonnay Grape Variety: 67% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay Disgorgement Date: May 2016 Dosage: 0g JOHN GILLMAN 92+ POINTS - "Benoît Marguet is now bottling many of his cuvées without any added SO2 and I worry a little about this, as his wines are so brilliantly crafted for long-term cellaring and I hope no potential longevity will end up being sacrificed because of this practice. Only time will tell. In any case, his Shaman 15 non-vintage Brut Nature bottling is outstanding, being composed of its customary blend of two-thirds pinot noir and one-third chardonnay. It was disgorged in March of 2019 and offers up a superb bouquet of white peach, apple, brioche, a complex base of soil, dried flowers and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with a fine core, refined mousse and lovely acid bounce adding precision and lift on the long, classy finish. This is outstanding wine. 2019-2045+." |
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