March 16, 2015

Repricements!Special Feature – Frederic Esmonin

Neal Martin writes in The Wine Advocate “…Until 1988 the (Frederic Esmonin) wines were sold in bulk to no less than Leroy and Louis Jadot, but over the last two decades they have quietly gone about their way producing high quality Gevrey-focused wines from their 3.60-hectare of holdings…. Here, all bunches are de-stemmed and matured in oak sourced from three cooperages: CaVin, Seguin-Moreau and Radoux. The domaine has a reputation for bottling relatively early and these 2012 had been bottled end-October. My experience of mature bottles suggests that it does not compromise these wines that have an unerring ability to age and what is more, can often be found at reasonable prices.

Spring Arrived Friday!

Ameztoi Rose Available Here Now!

Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2014 750ML ($24.95)

$21.90 special, 24 bottles available
Case-12 Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2014 750ML ($249.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle!), 3 cases availableNo reviews yet on this vintage, but these reviews of the prior two vintages:
Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2013
Josh Raynolds – Vinous Media 91 points “Light, lurid pink. Fresh red berries and white flowers on the mineral-driven nose, with a touch of orange zest adding interest. Nervy, focused and pure, offering vibrant, lightly bubbly red berry and citrus zest flavors sharpened by bright minerality. Finishes bright, crisp and long, with emphatic repeating notes of red berries and dusty minerals.

Mount Eden Vineyards ‘Estate Bottled’ Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains 2010 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, only 24 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Mount Eden’s 2010 Chardonnay is stunning. Honeysuckle, tangerine, apricot, and crème brulee literally jump from the glass A vivid, exotic wine, the 2010 is constantly changing in the glass. Stylistically, the 2010 is a little richer than Mount Eden fans are used to, but all the elements are in the right place. The 2010 verges on the edge of tropical aromas and flavors that are quite rare for young Mount Eden Chardonnays. Ideally, the 2010 is best left alone for a few years to allow some of the baby fat to drop off.

Consecutive great vintages in Neive!Paitin Pending

In the region of Piedmonte, Nebbiolo has sustained the reputation of being the ‘king grape’ of this Northwest part of Italy.   It has two main characters; the dark, slightly rugged and very tannic wines of Barolo, and the elegant, less structured and softer wines of Barbaresco.  Lighter in color, and more approachable when young, Barbaresco’s have really beautiful red fruit components and tend to show more floral notes, along with great spice, earth and leather characteristics.

Paitin estate history goes back to 1796, when Benedetto Elia (Paitin) purchased a vineyard of about 5 acres in the Neive region of Piedmonte.   About 30 years later, Elia bought roughly 5 more acres of Nebbiolo and Barbera vineyards with a house and cellar, and the first Barbaresco wine was bottled in 1893.