Evolúció
Furmint 2018
Reg. Price $13.99
Sale Price: $9.99
White Wine of the Month
This month I am featuring two of my favorite regions that give you the best wine for the money in my opinion; the Langeudoc in France and Portugal! Both areas grow a wide range of grapes and make different styles of wine so you are sure to find something for everyone. The Comtesse Marion Chardonnay comes to us from an estate in southern France that goes back to the 12th century. The Vic family cares for the Chateau now and wine making is in their blood; they are on the fifth generation of wine growers. Their 270 hectares of vineyards mostly sit on gravely soil with a mixture of clay and riverbed based top soils but they also has some vineyards planted on volcanic soils which gives the wine incredible minerality. The blend of the different vineyards in the finished wine gives it depth and it drinks over its price point! The family doesn’t use any herbicides or pesticides and only uses estate grown fruit in their wines. The Comtesse Marion Chardonnay is fully done in stainless steel but the blending of different vineyards and the older vines give it a slight richness. Notes of green apple, citrus zest and under ripe pear make this the perfect Chard for people that think they don’t like it! None of the oaky, buttery style here. Enjoy this with ham, roasted chicken, fish, salads, seafood; practically anything other than red meat.
Gateway
Douro Red 2016
Reg. Price $13.99
Sale Price: $9.99
Red Wine of the Month
We’ve just been making our way through Portugal with the reds of the month lately and I already have some Portuguese whites planned for the summer! We started in February with Mula Velha from Lisbon and made our way to the Dão in March with Jardim da Estrela. Now we have made it all the way north to the Douro with a red blend by Gateway! I will say this until I am blue in the face but Portuguese red blends are some of the best bang for the buck on the market. They may be from areas you have never heard of before and grapes you don’t recognize but don’t let that stress you out, just enjoy what’s in the bottle! Portuguese reds are great as we make our way into grilling season; whether you are grilling red meats or some fresh vegetables and mushrooms these wines are sure to delight you! The Gateway Douro red is a blend of 50% Touriga Franca, 30% Tinta Roriz and 20% Touriga Nacional that is fermented and aged in stainless steel, another thing I love about Portugal! Often times Portuguese reds aren’t aged in oak which really lets the terrior and fruit shine through! The Gateway is deliciously fruit forward with notes of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, cacao and a subtle spice. It may not be the most complex wine you’ve had in your life but hot damn it is delicious.
Beau Rivage
Bordeaux Blanc 2018
Reg. Price $15.99
Sale Price: $11.99
I feel like I have been on quite the Sauvignon Blanc train lately and there are already some others Sauv Blancs lined up for this summer! I felt like a more delicate, fresh style from Bordeaux would be perfect as we dip our toe into Spring. Beau Rivage is made by Borie-Manoux, a family run winery and trading house that was started in 1870. Beau Rivage means “beautiful shore” and is a nod to the gorgeous landscape that lines the Gironde River and its tributaries. In addition to the picturesque landscape it could also be homage to the shores themselves which are a mix of clay, gravel and sandy soils which is what Bordeaux is known for. Bordeaux is the largest appellation in France and it produces more wine than any appellation other than the Langeudoc. While production is 90% red wines there white wines are some of the most delicate, food friendly Sauvignon Blancs since the Sémillon gives them such beautiful texture. The Bordeaux Blanc is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon and 5% Muscadelle that is entirely tank fermented so it’s not influenced by oak at all. The finished wine is fresh and fruit forward with notes of lemongrass, citrus peel, green apple and under ripe stone fruit. Vibrant acidity makes this incredibly refreshing as well as food friendly! Enjoy this with apps or salads, roasted lemon chicken or seafood.
Tilenus
Bierzo Ecológico 2019
Reg. Price $22.99
Sale Price: $16.99
Finally after all this talk the last year or so about how great Raul Perez is and how great his Mencia is I finally have one of his Mencias for you this month. Mencia comes from the northwest part of Spain in the green, lush regions above Portugal where the grape is known as Jaen. In Spain it flourishes in the regions of Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras and it was in Bierzo that Raul Perez was born and began his love affair with the grape. Affectionately known as the “Wine Wizard” Raul Perez does bear a strong resemblance to Hagrid but he has been elevating Mencia to world class status for years since making wine at his family’s estate. He says Bierzo is the Burgundy of Spain because he believes that he can make Mencia as delicate and complex as red Burgundy but also because the region is fractured into incredibly small plots of land. There are 5,000 hectares with 7,000 plots and 5,000 different people listed as landowners! Raul has many projects all over the world but it was at Tilenus that he got his start and it is still one of his favorite ventures. The Tilenus Ecológico is hand harvested before spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts and only sees stainless steel to preserve its fresh and youthful bouquet. Medium bodied, the wine is bursting with fresh berry notes and a subtle, earthy spiciness.
Château de Campuget
Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $17.99
Sale Price: $9.99
The 2020 rosés are all running late this year due to backups at the ports but they are slowly trickling in. I anticipate that by the end of the month my set should be mostly full but in the meantime you can enjoy this crazy value from southern France. The Langeudoc region in southern France has been my go to for some of the best values in France for reds but the same holds true for rosé and this really delivers for $10. The Dalle family has been making wine at Château de Campuget since 1942 when they fled to southern France during the war. The Chateau is located in the heart of the Costières de Nîmes and enjoys all the best aspects of the Mediterranean climate; soils composed primarily of pebbles, the moderating affect from the ocean, lots of sunshine and winds to keeps the vines healthy! The vineyards are an average of 25 years old and the rosé is a blend of 30% Grenache and 70% Syrah that see between 4-12 hours of skin contact for the color and aromatics. The wine is fermented in stainless steel to preserve the fresh, delicate aromatics. While the complexity of this wine won’t knock your socks off it is a bargain at $10 so stock up so you can enjoy this all summer long! Notes of strawberry, raspberry and watermelon are accentuated by the refreshing acidity and the lighter body. Pair this with appetizers, salads and lighter dishes or just enjoy it on your patio with friends as we all get vaccinated!
Casteller
Cava Brut
Reg. Price $16.99
Sale Price: $12.99
The Hild Sekt went over so well last month that it is going to be a staple on our shelves going forward so if you need your fix I have it covered! Another sparkling wine that I have loved for years has finally made an appearance in the store, just in time for Easter, Mother’s Day and graduation! Casteller comes from the Penedès region of Spain which is known for Cava and is meant to represent the region as a whole. The name means “tower” which refers to the tradition of different clans getting together during holiday festivals and competing to see who could build the largest human tower. There is evidence of this going back to the 18th century and the practice was so wide spread in the area that in 2006 the Casteller tradtion was named by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This Cava is made by Maria Galup to celebrate that conviviality and is meant to drink at celebrations! The fruit is all estate grown which is very rare for Cava and the wine is a blend of 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarello, 20% Parellada. The wine is aged on the lees for 12 months and only 10,000 cases are made a year. This represents such a fantastic value for Cava and the wine completely over delivers for this price point. It’s affordable enough that you can put orange juice in it but I’m not sure you’re going to want to! Notes of green apples, citrus peel and minerality make this perfect for seafood or celebrations!
I can’t wait to explore these wines and more with you!
Pop into the store for all of your beverage needs and don’t forget about our in store tastings!
Beer Tasting Thursday 5 pm to 7 pm *On hold for Covid*
Wine Tasting Friday 4 pm to 7 pm *On hold for Covid*
