Tastings have resumed in store and the store is stuffed to the gills with goodies! I am excited for some incredible stuff I scored on closeout including the Bordeaux this month, I love it when warehouses run out of space! Keep your eyes peeled for other crazy deals to come.
Castle Rock
Chardonnay 2019
Reg. Price $12.99
Sale Price: $8.99
White Wine of the Month
Ah Castle Rock. Some Cali wineries can’t keep up with the times and get forgotten, some never made good wine in the first place and then some just get a little lost in the sea of wine coming from the west coast. Castle Rock is in that third camp and is somehow managing to make really good quality wines for crazy affordable prices. Castle Rock was founded in 1994 and instead of owning their own land they work with growers in the area to get their fruit. They have long standing contracts with about 40 different growers who are “all renowned for their expertise and consistency” which means well known growers who just have extra fruit. Since they don’t tell you who they are they can still charge $40 or whatever for their winery’s bottles and Castle Rock gets cheap fruit. It’s a win win kind of, other than for the people spending $60 for the same stuff that’s in this bottle. But that’s why you have me and I won’t let you do that! Castle Rock oversees all the farming for their fruit but doesn’t have to worry about the cost of land and overhead! Brilliant really. The Chardonnay has an undisclosed amount of oak since I couldn’t find tech sheets but it is moderately oaky-buttery with balanced notes of apple, pear and tropical fruits. If you like Chardonnay with some richness to it this is for you! Seriously over delivers for the price point.
Casa Ferreirinha
Esteva Rouge 2018
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $9.99
Red Wine of the Month
I was fortunate enough to visit Casa Ferreirinha when I was in Portugal five years ago and it was breathtaking. Everyone says that the hills surrounding the Douro River are steep but you cannot possibly comprehend just how steep until you’re standing waaaaaay at the top looking down towards the river. Thankfully I did not have to worry about harvesting the grapes, I was just able to escape the June heat of Portugal and head into the cellars. The story of the winery starts with one woman, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira who took over Ferreira Port, her family’s business in 1845 when she was 33 years old. She was a powerhouse and added more land, more terraces and improved the lives of the surrounding farmers. She was affectionately called ‘Ferreirinha’ – ‘the little Ferreira’ and she is the pillar that the winery is founded on. The Esteva is their entry level, every day wine and is a blend of 35% Tinta Roriz, 30% Tinta Barroca, 20% Touriga Franca, 15% Touriga Nacional and is all stainless steel. One of the many things I love about Portuguese wines is that they use a lot of stainless and not a lot of oak which allows their wines to be more affordable but also lets the fruit speak for itself! The Esteva is beautiful and medium bodied with notes of ripe strawberries, raspberries, violets and subtle cedar notes. Enjoy this on a regular basis.
Closilo
Colomard 2019
Reg. Price $18.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Oh hey look, another South African wine. What a surprise! A couple of months ago I featured a South African Sauvignon Blanc so this month I am featuring a South African Sauvignon Blanc substitute. Colombard is a grape that grows in the south western part of France, primarily in Gascony and Cognac. While the best use of it used to be to distill it there are some good examples of delicious, clean, refreshing dry wines made with it. South Africa seems to experiment with a little bit of everything and thank goodness for that because this wine is delicious! The Mont Blois estate in Robertson was bought by the Bruwer family in 1869 and now, six generation later, the family owns three estates and over 500 acres of vines. The Colombard is named Closilo after a silo that was built on the property in 1948 and the term “clos” meaning enclosed vineyard. The Colombard is lean and mean and if you didn’t know any better you may think it was a Sauvignon Blanc! Intense minerality meets tart green apple, citrus zest and slight herbal finish. Enjoy this with shellfish!
Château Les Donats
Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux 2017
Reg. Price $19.99
Sale Price: $14.99
I love red Bordeaux and I always try to have a bottle on hand. It is the best pizza wine, it goes well with weeknight dinners like burgers and roasted veggies and it just seems extra fancy for when you have unexpected guests. Grab a bottle of this from the basement slightly covered in dust and everyone will be oh-ing and ah-ing and never know that you spent $15 on it. Because it doesn’t drink like a $15 wine; this one punches way above its class. Bordeaux Supérieur offers incredible values but I scored this off of a closeout for a company that was moving warehouses and it’s from a fairly obscure region in Bordeaux. What do obscure regions mean most of the time? Bang for the buck. Chateau Les Donats comes from the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux and it’s 100% Merlot but don’t be scared; Merlot isn’t bad, that’s just a lie you’ve been told. The wine is aged in neutral French oak for 14 months before bottling and it has so much depth and complexity. Grab some and stock up for the winter! This will knock your socks off with anything grilled or stewed and make great gifts.
Pierre et Papa
Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $17.9
Sale Price: $13.99
Pierre et Pape makes one of my favorite easy drinking, bistro style reds so I am thrilled that their rosé has become available. The wines are all sustainably farmed and sourced throughout southern France to make great wine that over delivers for the price. The rosé is 100% Cinsault which is a grape that thrives in the heat of the Langeudoc and is a very important blending grape in Provence rosé as well as red blends throughout France. Your favorite bottle of Côtes du Rhône probably has a pinch for good measure in there! Cinsault is actually the fourth most planted grape in all of France and it’s a shame you don’t see more of it bottled alone! It is high yielding and drought resistant while bringing fantastic depth and aromatics to wines and really brightens them up. The rosé is light on its feet and refreshing with notes of under ripe strawberries, citrus peel and tomato plant. Enjoy this with grilled salmon, salads, appetizers or just to beat the heat!
GD Vajra
Rosabella Rosé 2020
Reg. Price $27.99
Sale Price: $17.99
I write about these wines quite a bit so you may recognize them by now! The short version is that the Vajra family has been growing grapes in Piedmont since the 1880’s and when Aldo Vajra took over he got the first organic certification in the region in 1971. The family has 40 hectares of land, focus on traditional wine making techniques and bringing back old, forgotten grape varietals. In addition to their lauded Barolo the Vajras make a stunning Riesling, Langhe wines and the Rosabella rosé. The Rosabella is a saignée rosé which means that the skins macerate with the juice for a short time to give the wine the pink color, aromatics and flavor. The 2020 is a blend of predominantly Nebbiolo with Dolcetto and Barbera that is picked from younger vineyards across the family’s land and it is true to its roots. The Nebbiolo really comes through in this wine with zippy acidity, high minerality and notes of dried flowers and dried orange peel amongst the usual aromatics.
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
Wine Tasting Friday 4 pm to 7 pm
