May 2016

LOW ROAD

2014 Fenestra Verdelho, $14

Club member Meredith invited us to the Oakland Zoo Walk in the Wild tasting where this unique wine caught our attention. We’ve thought about it for almost a year before we reached out to the winery. We spent a quiet Tuesday with the winemaker and the owner and fell in love with the rest of their wines too. Typically we don’t sell wines that are made 45 minutes from Santa Ray, but this is such a unique grape, unique winemaker and a fantastic white for the summer. We bought it for the Club but we couldn’t keep our hands off of it, so we had to reorder. The Summer of 2016 will taste like Verdelho.

2010 Fenestra Tempranillo, $18.33

This Livermore winery’s owner left his job as a college professor to pursue his love of Port. He bought and planted the Portuguese grapes typically used in Port blends. What he found was that the Portuguese wines were not only delicious, but really unique in a California market. We’ve learned that our Club members love Rioja and Tempranillo-based wines. This is the Low Road California version of those wines. After tasting and selecting this wine, the owner heard that it’s getting 90 points from Wine Enthusiast in the upcoming May ratings. It’s already aged, so you can enjoy it right now.

YEAR Domaine de Hates, Petite Chablis, $15.84

Petite Chablis is the lowest end of the Chablis classification. The Chablis-born winemaker explains, however, that the vineyard was misclassified and probably shouldn’t be designated as “Petite.” We don’t know if it’s under classified, but we do believe it’s underpriced. We served it at a Santa Ray progressive party and everyone agreed that this crisp Chardonnay should be in the Club. High Road Club member Clark deemed it a great value and pre-ordered more.

Tenuta  I Gelsi, Aglianico, Basilicata 2013, $14.63

The Aglianico grape is nicknamed the "Barolo of the South" because like Nebbiolo, it has a dark, almost black color, a strong flavor of tannin and minerality and needs time to soften.   The DOC (the Italian designation for quality and authenticity) versions of this wine can demand prices much higher than we sell, but with stainless steel tanks instead of oak barrels, and modern wine making, the grape can be made to drink young and drink affordably. Luckily, that's just the way the Low Road likes it.  Growing is done well in hot climates and has recently started being planted in California.  We'll search for that next.

HIGH ROAD

2012 Villa Raiano, 'Alimata', Fiano di Avellino, Campania, $24.25

With aromas of crisp fruit, this single vineyard Fiano is perfect with seafood and a Monterey weekend getaway (we tried it!)  If you were lucky enough to get a bottle of our first Fiano, we're guessing you're looking forward to this one too. From the same producers as the Greco di Tufo, we would typically price this at $30, but we wanted to get a screaming deal so we bought a lot more of it for a discount. Now that's taking one for the team. 

Sancerre Cuvée François de la Grange 2012 $25
The grape is Sauvignon Blanc, but if you're not a fan, don't stop reading yet. Jeff characterizes this beautiful Sancerre as a "Dinner Sancerre" compared to last shipment's "Lunch Sancerre."  Organic and homeopathic with a native yeast fermentation in old wood foudres (think of a typical barrel, but much, much larger to minimize the oak), this wine intensely aromatic with a full, rich body. My parents bought a case after their initial tasting and the Santa Ray progressive party deemed it the night's favorite white.

VALUE ADD-ONS

NV, Fenestra, True Red, $12.50

This blend out of Livermore-winery Fenestra is the new can't-fail red of our lives. It's been selected multiple times in a blind tasting for a Rockstar-themed party, a bat mizvah and a reunion.  Plus, for the price, you'll open a second bottle. You know, just to be sure.

2012 Villa Artimino, Chianti, Toscana $12.38

Grown close to Florence in Cabernet country on a noble estate known for boar hunting, this Chianti is rounded out with Cabernet (all Chianti are least 80% Sangiovese). The Cabernet gives it a plump, juicy goodness, elevating it above your typical $12 grocery store Chianti. Don't be shy about popping the cork on Tuesday, this is an affordable, extremely drinkable wine that we're predicting will be our next Club fave.

REPEAT FAVORITE ADD-ONS

2011 Pallio di San Floriano, Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi - Monte Schiavo, Verdicchio, Le Marche $15
A bit of wood and lees aging gives this Verdicchio a full, rich texture that's weighty on the palette. If you like heavier whites, this is it. Blaine calls it a good California crossover wine. I call it a delicious wine at an unmatchable value. Plus, it's a 2011 which gives you a great excuse to drink it now.

NV, Maubet, $8.75
Back by popular demand…. If you want an affordable white in the house that isn’t Chardonnay, here’s your new house white. On paper, it doesn't whet your palate because nobody has heard of it, we're not sure how to pronounce it and it's a screw top. But... since we shared it with the Club, we've gone through five nine cases. Our guests continue to deem it worthy. Try it and then call us for a case.

2013, Bodega Hiruzta, Getzriako Txakolina Zuri $18.75
Don’t even try to pronounce it. “Chocolina.”  The grapes are 93% Hondarrabi Zuri and 7% Gros Manseng. It’s clean, bright, pale yellow in color and sharp in the mouth with a long, aromatic finish. With just a hint of bubbly to it, Club member Kara can’t get enough. If you don’t like it, more for her.

2012, Weingut Kirnbauer, Das Phantom $26
The grapes are 44% Blaufrankisch, 28% Cabernet, 19% Merlot and 9% Syrah, aged for 18 months in oak barrels. The extraordinary micro-climate and soil conditions of this area produce the region’s top terroir-influenced reds. We featured this at our recent “Taste!” auction party and it was a hit.

Cecchi La Mora Morellino di Scansano

In the town of Scansano, Morellino is the name for the Sangiovese grape.  Cecchi is a big winery that makes tons of different wines. On the off chance we’re related, we make sure to taste them all. Like many big wineries, they have High Road and Low Road options.  But every once in a while, we find one that we feel is underpriced.  This wine has a long flavor with big fruit and good Oak. We only have a couple cases, so try it now if you’re interested.

PINK PACK

Club member Clark is part of a tasting group that evolved over the better part of 30 years.  Wines are tasted blind and ranked. Since the 2015 Rosés just arrived, eight people tasted eight Rosés from France and Italy. The Santa Ray Wine Club wines were 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers – a sweep!  

We are offering the 1st and 3rd place Rosés with this shipment (The 2nd place wine was our High Road Rose from our August 2015 shipment.) Get some sun and drink these all summer.

2015 Roblin Origine Sancerre Rose $20.63

#1 Rose of the blind tasting.  Pinot Noir 

2015 Domaine Vetriccie Rose $12.25

#3 Rose of the blind tasting.  From Corsica!  50% Niellucciu (Sangiovese clone,) 35% Sciaccarellu (Indigenous grape,) 15% Granache

Pink Pack, 4 Bottles $65
Or, if you’re just a pink fan, opt for our pink pack for two of each.