Celler Dosterras, Montsant “Vespres” 2009 92 pts Wine Advocate Sale $19.99 net / reg. $27.99 – save 29%! [Schmitty] This exemplifies everything I really love about Montsant – all the Priorat-esque ripe, rich, exotic dark fruit you expect … but with the higher elevation and volcanic limestone soil unique to the DO, this has juicy balancing acidity running throughout. On the nose, blackberry, black cherry, plum, incense, slate-y minerals and smoke all leap out of the glass. On the palate - I often joke about Jay Miller’s florid prose… but his phrase “liquid minerality” is actually right on point with this wine. Coupled with a velvety, lush texture, the dark minerality in the Vespres really does seem to attain almost liquid form here. And the fruit – unctuous black fruit, but again, tempered and balanced by that gorgeous acidity that makes your mouth water and beg for another sip. And the finish… whew. Minute plus… undulating and unfolding, exposing layers of violets, more mineral, and savory smoke tones that continued to evolve as the wine got some air under it. |
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Todd's New Favorite Juice |
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Daniel Bouland Morgon 2010 – Sale $23.99 net – 92 pts Wine Advocate I’ve fallen completely in love with Morgon, having jumped feet first into the delightful bath that was 2009 Beaujolais. I tried ‘em all... well maybe not all, but enough to become a card-carrying convert! Forget everything you think you know about Beaujolais and start over… This could not be a better place to begin… Daniel Bouland makes Morgon from another century, before the massive Nouveau juggernaut crushed the region’s identity and qualitative spirit. Thankfully, winemakers like Bouland have risen up to energize the appellation. |
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 SAVE THE DATE!
Italian Winemaker Dinner With Pazzo in Southern Village Thursday, February 23rd Terredora has been a favorite of us Wine Guys for years... and we've got the owner coming to town at the end of February. Since the last Italian dinner at Pazzo was such a home run, we knew we had to do it all over again! So, we've locked that in for a terrific night at Pazzo. The rest of the details are still being finalized, but stay tuned - you don't want to miss this one. |
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Ritual Pinot Noir 2009 (Chile) - deals to follow - regularly $19.99 - 90 pts Wine Spectator - The 2008 vintage was featured in the Case of the Year 2010 Edition... We've quietly been selling away on the new vintage, waiting for enough time to elapse and everyone's stash to deplete... it's time! A wonderful balance of the fruit-driven and earthy sides of Pinot Noir. California/Argentina wine guru Paul Hobbs is the consulting winemaker (hence the fruit) on this project from Veramonte out of Chile (hence the earthiness.) For $20, it is about as complete a Pinot as I have tasted in years, deftly balancing the lush fruit, spice, earth and acidity that characterizes Pinot Noir. It's like a blend of California, Oregon and Burgundy! All in one bottle! I gotta say, I am excited about the potential for Pinot in Chile. |
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Sale $24.99 net 93 pts Wine Advocate California produces loads of great wines, of that there is no doubt. Open any wine publication and you’ll find scores of Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ranked among the world’s finest. Of course, with renown comes demand, and with demand comes $$$. As in, you gotta pay for it. Yet California excels with other grapes on a qualitatively equal level and without the broad exposure, the wines can be had for a bargain. For me, California Syrah fits that niche perfectly – great wines, great prices. Wanna try one? Well, if you gotta try one, might was well be one of the best! |
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Every Thursday in Chapel Hill
5-7 pm Free! Thursday, February 9th France’s Hinterland Languedoc and Roussillon We are big fans of the Rhone and Southern France around here… but in all the blasts about Chateauneuf and Gigondas and Hermitage, sometimes we forget that there’s some darn good juice being made in the “Rhone Delta” as well as further south and west along the Mediterranean coast. Indeed, the Languedoc and Roussillon boast some of France’s oldest vineyards, and in a recent revitalization, has rediscovered its artisanal roots after decades of being relegated to bulk wine. Even Rhone luminaries like Michel Chapoutier are not immune to the pull of France’s hinterland, and he and like-minded winemakers are making terrific wine with a real sense of place… and generally at a fraction of the price tag that the more prestigious appellations typically command. So come see us Thursday – we’ve got a fearsome foursome of juice from Southern France that bottoms out at 90 points and tops out below $25. Not a bad combo… Dom. Bila-Haut, Côtes du Roussillon Blanc 2010 - 90 pts Wine Advocate - $13.99 net – “The 2010 Cotes du Roussillon Les Vignes de Bila-Haut in blanc represents tank-raised Grenache Blanc, Macabeu, and Grenache Gris, some from chalky soils around Latour-de-France, but largely from granite heights in Lesquerde. A strikingly colorful aromatic display features pink grapefruit, peony, honeysuckle, and golden raspberry, all of which combine on a juicy, mouthwateringly saline palate, finishing with superb refreshment and length. What a fine introduction to Roussillon whites and terrifically versatile accompaniment at table this will make over the next 2-3 years if not beyond!” Mas Conscience, VdP de l’Heraulte “Le Cas” 2008 - 91 pts Wine Advocate - $17.99 net – “The Vidals’ 2008 Le Cas is not only an irresistibly juicy, bright example of the charming interplay of dark berries and mineral nuances that Carignan can exhibit (traits known to too few wine lovers), it also displays an unusual levity, the function of a vintage in which this fruit of ancient vines near the windy gorge of the Herault had to hang well into October and still rendered barely 13% alcohol. Ripe yet tart elderberry and black berry mingle with salt, chalk, iodine, and shrimp shell, while bittersweet floral perfume – doubtless enhanced by the inclusion of stems in the ferment – wafts alluringly throughout. If this doesn’t liberate your salivary glands and perk you up, I wonder what red wine would! I’m hoping to resist opening at least a bottle or two for longer than the first two years, just to see how this might evolve thereafter.” Jean Baptiste Senat, Minervois “La Nine” 2009 - 90 pts Wine Advocate - $22.99 net – “Incorporating Grenache, Carignan, and smaller shares of Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Syrah, Senat's 2009 La Nine features lightly-cooked blackberry and black raspberry laced with dark berry distillates, chocolate, coconut, and walnut oil. Mouth-filling and possessed of positively powdery tannins, this might miss quite the vivacity, complexity, and sheer juiciness of its 2010 counterpart, but is soothing and seductive in its way, and promises to satisfy for at least the next several years.” L’Oustal Blanc, Proprietary Red “Naick 10” 2010 - 90-91 pts Wine Advocate – $22.99 net – “L'Oustal's red Naick 10 is around 30% Carignan, most of the rest consisting of Cinsault. Redolent of ripe, high-toned cherry and blackberry; exuberantly juicy; silken in texture; and with herbs and toasted nuts serving for counterpoint, this finishes with a saliva-inducing salinity. It may be quite different in varietal make-up from this estate's appellation Minervois wines, but as an example of seamless richness allied to levity and vibrancy this excellent value will serve as a wonderful introduction to the house style and be worth following from bottle for at least 3-4 years.”
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