For a printable PDF of this weekend’s notes, click here!
Tegernseerhof T26 Dürnstein Grüner Veltliner Federspiel 2020
Origin: Austria
Retail: $16.95 | Sale: $15.25
Franz Mittelbach and his wife, Mathilde, are the fifth generation of Tegernseerhof owners. Since the 1970s, they have been continuously running the Tegernseerhof as a family business. Today, Martin Mittelbach, the son of Franz and Mathilde, is the current part of this history. The Tegernseerhof vineyards flourish on stone terraces whose verdant soil plays host to a rich variety of indigenous fauna. Among the best-known, excellent locations and wines are Bergdistel, Schütt Hoehereck and Loibenberg (for Grüner Veltliner) as well as Bergdistel, Loibenberg, Steinertal and Kellerberg (for Riesling). The flat lands of the vineyards in Loiben are characterized by very deep sandy soils. The roots are encouraged to penetrate into the deepest layers of soil to ensure the water supply of the plant - the age of our 50-year-old vines guarantee this optimum root growth and wood maturity. Sandy and gravel soils form a classic, fruity Gruner.
100% Gruner Veltliner
Quinta do Crasto Branco 2018
Origin: Douro Valley, Portugal
Retail: $14.95 | Sale: $13.45
Nestled on a privileged location in the Douro, Quinta do Crasto is one of the oldest winemaking estates in the region – the name ‘Crasto’ is derived from the Latin word ’castrum‘, which means ‘Roman fort’. The first known references to Quinta do Crasto can be traced back to 1615, long before the Douro became the world’s first Demarcated Wine Region in 1756. Located in the heart of the Cima Corgo, Quinta do Crasto is officially classified as an ‘A’ grade vineyard property. One hundred and eighty-five acres of vineyards are planted primarily on terraces carved from schist, the characteristic slate-like bedrock of the Douro that allows vine roots to penetrate deep into the ground in search of water. Made from traditional Douro white grape varieties: Viosinho, Rabigato and Gouveio, this wine is a fresh and aromatic wine with a modern style. Citrus aromas with elegant floral notes are perfectly integrated. Good balance, crisp freshness and a pleasant length. Pale lemon in color, with lively aromas of orange blossom and citrus fruit. Fresh and elegant on the palate, it shows excellent volume and texture, and pleasant, well-integrated notes of minerality. 15% of the blend was fermented and aged in used French oak barrels, with occasional lees stirring for three months. A seductive wine that finishes fresh, balanced and persistent.
40% Viosinho | 30% Gouveio | 30% Rabigato
Tyrrell’s Wines Semillon 2019
Origin: Hunter Valley, Australia
Retail: $21.95 | Sale: $19.75
Having lived and breathed wine growing and winemaking in the Hunter Valley for more than 160 years, we’ve amassed an unrivalled knowledge of what makes the Hunter one of Australia’s, and indeed the world’s, greatest winegrowing regions. Over those 160-plus years, Tyrrell’s has been a constant in both the Hunter Valley and Australian wine industries. We helped to pioneer what are now two of Australia’s favourite wine varieties – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and have been instrumental in establishing Hunter Valley Semillon as one of the world’s iconic wine styles. Our Vat 1 Semillon is Australia’s most awarded white wine A selection of some of our top Semillon vineyards around the Hunter Valley. Most of the vineyards are dry grown and have an average vine age of 40 years.A cool summer then gave us even, stress-free ripening with some heat around Australia Day that was perfectly timed at the final stages of ripening. The wine then spent a short amount of time on yeast lees to gain extra complexity and mouth feel.
100% Semillon
Bodegas Santo Tomas Misión 2019
Origin: Guadalupe Valley, Mexico
Retail: $16.95 | Sale: $15.25
Founded in 1771 as a Dominican Mission, later turned winery in 1888. Santo Tomas became the pillar of winemaking and production in Ensenada. Santo Tomas is the oldest winery in the Guadalupe Valley which is located 18 miles inland from the city of Ensenada on the Baja peninsula. The valley is home to a unique Medierranean microclimate, ideal for winemaking. Because it is located far from the coast, the valley experiences a more extreme climate. Summers tend to be very hot and dry, with no rain but enjoying a breeze off the coast in the evening. Since 2005, the winery has been lead by oenologist Laura Zamora, the first female winemake in Mexico. She has achieved over 220 medals in national and international competitions. Having retired in 2019, winemaking has been handed off to Cristina Pino Villar, formerly of Monte Xanic. Cristina, a Spaniard, will continue the legacy of Female winemaking, while ushering in her fresh perspective and modern ingenuity.
60% Misión | 20% Carignan | 20% Tempranillo
Sindicat La Figuera Gartaxa Montsant 2020
Origin: Catalan, Spain
Retail: Retail: $21.95 | Sale: $19.75
Sindicat La Figuera is the recovery of an illusion, a project of 6 farmers from La Figuera. A unique village in Montsant, with a very special characteristics: located in the highest point of the region – 550m-, their garnatxa vines –the only varietal– planted in goblet and ages between 30 and 80 years old stand out for their personality and particularity. In the early 1930s when the co-op was founded, La Figuera was a bustling town; there were 25 residents involved in the creation of the winemaking facility and who contributed grapes to the first vintage. Garnatxa, as the Catalans call it, has always been planted around La Figuera and has always been the primary grape used for Sindicat’s flagship wine. While Cariñena is typically blended with Garnatxa in Montsant, La Figuera is known for the beauty and elegance of their pure Garnatxa wines and is one of the few places where it is bottled on its own. The town prospered until mid 50s, when a great storm devastated the area and the year after a strong frost occurred. Residents fled, and much of the vineyards were destroyed and abandoned. The freshness of the altitude gives its wines hints of citrus and flowers that are not found in other wines in the area. If we add their traditional way of making wine in underground concrete tanks, here is the result: a light and fresh wine.
100% Garnatxa
LIOCO ‘Indica’ Mendocino Red
Origin: Mendocino, CA
Retail: $24.95 | Sale: $22.45
LIOCO was conceived in the alley behind Spago Beverly Hills by wine director Kevin O’Connor and wine salesman Matt Licklider. The two colleagues, critical of the heavy-handed wines of the day, wondered if it were possible to make some local wines that favored nuance over sheer power. In 2005, relying on nothing more than their palates and their rolodexes, the two embarked on a winemaking odyssey. Europe was the inspiration, as were the more restrained California wines of the 1980’s. Today the winery is owned and operated by the Licklider family. Husband/wife duo Matt and Sara Licklider and their small team produce the wines at a state-of-the-art winemaking cooperative in Santa Rosa. All of the fruit is purchased from exceptional vineyards spanning 200-miles and three counties (Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Mendocino) Seventy year old Carignane from Mendocino is mixed with fifty year old Valdigue for a unique expression of historic grapes that highlight the California dry farming. Aromas of blueberry compote, dried rosemary and iron shavings with fresh flavors of plum and black raspberry .
93% Carignane | 7% Valdigue
Glen Manor Vin Rouge 2019
Origin: Front Royal, VA
Retail: $27.95 | Sale: $25.15
Vin Rouge (French for “red wine”) is, by design, a less-structured simpler red blend. Reflective of the beautiful variety that we are given in each season’s weather, the Vin Rouge reflects its time and place purely. Best on the table with friends and simple foods.
Dense dark garnet in the glass with black raspberry and red cherry aromas. A brambly spiciness on the midpalate from the petit verdot leads into fine and gripping tannins on the finish. The dark red berry and pomegranate fruit follows through on a long and polished finish.
43% Cabernet Sauvignon | 35% Merlot | 13% petit Verdot | 9% Cabernet Franc
The Paring Red Blend 2016
Origin: Santa Barbara, California
Retail: $24.95 | Sale: $22.45
The Paring was born in 2006 out of a desire to explore, experiment and excite—without rules. Made from the vineyard blocks that are either too young or don't fit into the vintage style of the highly acclaimed JONATA and The Hilt wines—The Paring is a cut of each estate. The Paring puts pedigree first, and then lets imagination take over. The grapes are sourced primarily from three Santa Barbara regions on the vanguard: Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley Utterly fascinating nose mixing lifted black fruit, savory green herbs and dark notes of grilled bread, espresso and anise. Fills the palate with bright red fruit and black plum. A constant play between sweet and savory. Gentle and dusty tannins lead the way into an incredibly long and precise finish. Mulberry sweetness and a wonderful tension between tannic structure and bright acidity. Balanced and refined, a study in elegance. Brilliant notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, damp earth, cedary herbs, and graphite all emerge from this concentrated, remarkably pure, elegant Bordeaux blend.
50% Cabernet Sauvignon | 20% Cabernet Franc | 20% Merlot | 10% Petit Verdot
Goulée de Chateau Cos d'Estournel Médoc 2015
Origin: Bordeaux, France
Retail: $64.95 | Sale: $58.45
Located in the northern reaches of the Médoc, where breezes regulate temperatures during hot spells and allow fruit to maintain freshness, the vineyard is particularly adapted to growing Merlot grapes. In perfect harmony with the estate's terroir, Merlot is key in creating a smooth, supple, seductive wine that is fruity yet pure. The bounty and grace of nature. Goulée by Cos d’Estournel brings to mind a light sea breeze, refreshing eucalyptus and the tantalizing scents of juicy, ripe berries and rich cacao beans… Evoking an invigorating afternoon spent on the water with friends or a delicious meal in an oceanfront bistro softly lit by the glowing rays of the sun, Goulée by Cos d’Estournel is decidedly untamed, a bold and expressive wine.
77% Merlot | 19% Cabernet Sauvignon | 4% Cabernet Franc