Join us this weekend for a complimentary wine tasting hosted on Saturday by Jason Bise of the Winebow Group! All of these wines are new to the store, and we can’t wait for you to try them!
Tastings run from 11:30am to 5pm, and all bottles featured are 10% off. Scroll down for more information on this week’s lineup!
Claude Branger Monnières-Saint Fiacre Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2014
Origin: France
Retail: $26.95 | Sale $24.25
Among the small cadre of committed growers—and it remains a small cadre—the father and son team of Claude and Sébastien Branger rank among the top. Claude was an early member of Terra Vitis, an organization that sets guidelines for sustainable farming and monitors its members’ practices to ensure compliance. Subsequently, Sébastien converted the domaine to full-fledged organic practices and they became certified in 2016. As the first designated cru in Muscadet, this wine is based on gneiss soil and made up of a selection of well-sited vineyards. Harvested by hand, using indigenous yeast, and spending 33 months on the lees in tank give this wine incredible depth. Soft lemon aromas welcome you into the glass, and the palate packs tons of minerality on a medium body with lots of crisp acidity. This is fantastically paired with any seafood and spring-time salads.
100% Melon de Bourgogne.
Organic.
Anima Negra Quibia 2017
Origin: Spain
Retail: $20.95 | Sale $18.85
Situated in the southeast of Mallorca, Ànima Negra winery produces its wines on the old country estate of Son Burguera and focuses on natural farming. Chemical insecticides and herbicides are avoided in favor of biodynamic practices, and indigenous yeasts are used for almost all fermentation. This wine in particular celebrates the versatility of the indigenous grape, Callet. Aromas of peach, quince, jasmine and mineral notes mingle on the nose with fresh tangerine acidity. The color is an enticing straw-lemon in color with greenish highlights. On the palate the wine is fruity, yet creamy in texture, with a hint of pineapple. Fresh, delicate and well balanced, this wine is great with Thai food or oysters.
60% Callet, 30% Premsal, 10% other local grapes.
91 Points Wine Spectator
Domaine Ollier-Taillefer Faugères Allegro 2017
Origin: France
Retail: $28.95 | Sale: $26.35
Only 2% of what Faugères produces today is white wine, making this a rare find. What sets Faugères apart amid the labyrinth of Languedoc appellations are two things: its geology of schist, and its high elevation. Relative to other Languedoc appellations, it’s also small and rather stunningly compact -- being one of more than twenty appellations in Languedoc but owning less than 1% of the total vineyard surface. This wine pours with an intense lemon-yellow and straw color, shining with gold hues. Lively apricot and fresh peach aromas welcome you into the glass with an elderflower floral edge and a wealth of honey. The palate is round and oily, dry with a good crispy acidity, and underlining zesty lemon flavors. Orange peel and apple complete the profile of this lively fruity white,
as well as bursts of ginger and fresh hazelnut.
50% Roussanne, 50% Vermentino.
Organic.
Elizabeth Spencer Rosé of Grenache 2017
Origin: California
Retail: $20.95 | Sale: $18.85
This Rosé leaps from the glass with a bountiful nose of crushed raspberry, blood orange zest, lilacs, and grape blossoms. The palate is likewise generous and fruity, redolent of cherry, guava, and grapefruit. The fruity palate is well-supported with a bright and zesty acidity that lingers long into the bold, structured finish.
100% Grenache.
Sustainable.
Domaine Ollier-Taillefer Faugères Les Collines Rouge 2015
Origin: France
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.95
Another selection by siblings Luc and Françoise Ollier. The geology of pure schist gives bright aromatics and sleek deep flavors to Les Collines, an organic, hand-harvested bland of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan. This wine is long, lithe, and deliciously Languedocien.
50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 30% Carignan.
Organic.
Chevalerie Bourgueil Galichets 2014
Origin: France
Retail: $26.95 | Sale $24.25
The Caslot family at Domane de la Chevalerie make soulful Bourgueils from organic vineyards on their varied terroirs. The Chevalerie vineyard is on mid-slope Turonian limestone with clay and alluvial sand and gravel topsoils and the vines average about 60 years of age. The palate is dense, supple, and intensely mineral - a blend of stone and cool red fruits are lifted by firm acidity, with the bright fruit continuing in the long mineral finish. This is a beautiful Bourgueil that can be enjoyed now with roast chicken, pork dishes, even a steak - or hold for ten to fifteen years for a mature experience.
100% Cabernet Franc
Anima Negra ÀN/2 2016
Origin: Spain
Retail: $27.95 | Sale: $25.15
ÀN/2 is a perfect introduction to the wines of Mallorca. This unique red is made from old vine Callet, Mantonegre-Fogoneu and Syrah fermented in a combination of stainless steel and concrete—macerated only briefly to retain the freshness and flavors of the fully ripe fruit. Aged for just over one year in a combination of 80% French barriques and 20% American oak. Deep ruby-red in color, AN/2 has complex aromas of savory spices, wild raspberries, dark cherry fruit and a hint of violets and smokiness. On the palate the wine is silky and elegant with intense flavors of mature fruit. Well-balanced with a long finish.
65% Callet, 20% Mantonegre-Fogoneu, 15% Syrah.
92 Points Wine Spectator.
Catena Appellation Lunlunta Malbec 2016
Origin: Argentina
Retail: $26.95 | Sale: $24.25
The Lunlunta shows a deep violet color with purple reflections. The nose offers concentrated aromas of ripe red and dark fruits with traces of vanilla and mocha. The mouthfeel is rich and concentrated, with blueberry and blackberry notes and a touch of leather and cinnamon. The finish presents well-integrated supple tannins with a flinty minerality that gives the wine exceptional length. The Catena Lunlunta perfectly pairs with smoked meats and cheeses and equally well with braises, roasts or grilled meats and fowl. Perfect for a light dinner or a substantial meal it is an extremely versatile wine that can be enjoyed with or without food. This has depth and complexity while maintaining a classic profile that is clean and focused.
100% Malbec.
92 Points Robert Parker, 91 Points Jeb Dunnack