November 2015

LOW ROAD

St. Michael Eppan, Pinot Nero, Alto Adige, 2013, $17.55
Sarah is loving this wine. It's a Pinot Nero (pinot noir) and it's spicy, but still light and drinkable. From the mountain base of Alto Adige in northern Italy, it's heavily influenced by Austria. It's earthly on the nose, but very smooth to taste. Blaine the wine guy says it's "turkey wine all day." It will definitely be on our Thanksgiving table.

Yohan Lardy, Cru Fleurie “Le Vivier”, 2013, $19.00
Yohan is the new big shot of Beaujolais. He's a young guy, raised in the trade and farms organically and sustainably. Although still complex, his wine is light in body and has notes of raspberry and pepper. This isn't the Beaujolais Nouveau of ill repute (which has a 'white zin' reputation,) this is a 90-point food wine that serves like a Pinot. Think turkey, think food, think yum.

Bodegas Luis Alegre Rioja Blanco, CO Rioja Alavesa, 2013, $12.50
We wanted to deliver fall and winter wines, and this nails it! It's rich, creamy and perfect for a crisp fireplace night. We're so excited for what the Spanish wines deliver. Rioja is the region, Viura is the grape, now is the time.

Maubet, NV, $8.75
If you want an affordable white in the house that isn’t Chardonnay, here’s your new house white. Jeff and Club member Corby found this affordable blend at a recent wine tasting. 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 first tasted it, we've gone through five cases. Our guests continue to deem it worthy. Try it and then call us for a case.

Le Carabenes, Pinot Noir, 2013, $12.50
A drinkable pinot for food pairing, this is a delicious and affordable wine. Our local restaurant serves it for $10 a glass and $36 a bottle, but we say stay home and serve it alongside your turkey. Compare it to the Pinot Nero, see if you prefer Italy or France. At only $150 for the case, we think it's a kitchen staple.

HIGH ROAD

Marques del Puerto Gran Reserva, 2004, $21.75
A La Rioja monastery received a grape donation in the 9th century and this wine region was born. But it wasn’t until the last decade that the new D.O.C defined the best wines. The Gran Reserva Rioja spends two years in oak and three years in bottle before its first release. For that reason (and others), it isn't made every year. If you're drinking a good Rioja now, it's likely from 2004-2005 grapes. We love this bottle for tasting the age and strength of the Tempranillo grape (92%). Plus, it's a great value. Let me know if you want to add an extra bottle.

Goodfellow Richard's Cuvee Chardonnay, Whistling Ridge, 2013, $31.67
We are a Club centered 40 miles from Napa. You don’t need our help to find a nice, polished Chardonnay. But at a tasting of 40 Oregon Chardonnays, this wine stood out. For his family label, Marcus Goodfellow, the winemaker from Matello, makes two single-vineyard Willamette Valley Chards that are completely different. Whistling Ridge Vineyard has hot summers and shallow soil, so the plants need to be particularly hearty. Marcus makes the wine great, the grapes make it interesting.

Villa Raiano, Greco di Tufo, Campania, 2012, $31.25
The Fiano from our last delivery was wildly popular with the Club, so we wanted to see what else the winemaker had to offer. Blaine from Siena Imports named the Greco di Tufo as a great wine for drinkers – AND a great wine for wine nerds right now (which explained why neighbor Brian requested it - nerd alert!) Similar to the process of champagne, the winemaker intentionally lets the grapes rest on their lees after fermentation, "leesiness." The process lets the wine develop a richness that can't be replicated. We tasted two from the winemaker and fell in love with this one. Plus, he mentioned wood-fired pizza – duh.

Cascina Cucco Barolo, Serralunga d'Alba, Piemonte, 2008, $50
"The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings." Or, as we've heard, "THEE $50 Barolo." This is the ideal wine for a wine guy, your boss or somebody you want to impress. Made of 100% Nebbiolo grape, Barolo is a robust, deep and structured wine. A mountainous and difficult to farm area, plus a lengthy age requirement of 38 months, make this the epitome of high-quality wine production. It's aromatic, tannic, acidic and can age 20 to 40 years. Give the gift of Barolo to someone that you care about (like yourself.)
* If we have enough interest, we can get the price down to $45.

Cahors Chateau Haute-Serre (Malbec), 2009, $23.75
Another great find at a tasting with neighbor Corby, this spicy, tannic, strong red blew us away. We bought a case on site to drink. After researching, we found it was well received by others, including 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and 91 points from Wine Spectator. We've tasted this with the people who really matter – our friends (including a high-end winemaker) – and they simply loved it.

Domaine de Champarlan, Sancerre, 2014, $18.75
Club member Jessica did not want a Chardonnay. We think this is an excellent alternative for your white wine fans. The grape is Sauvignon Blanc. It's light and crisp, but instead of sweet, it's shows citrus and minerality. Enjoy it alone or with food.