This is the last week for our 14th annual Corks for Kids fundraiser for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. We've enjoyed tastings with Mark Vlossak from St. Innocent Winery and Jeff Stewart from Hartford Family Winery. We’re closing in on $1 million in total funds raised over the years, so help us make the big push! 

For starters, you can bid on some of our incredible auction items including 

• Next of Kyn 2016 Cumulus Vineyard #10 Magnum (1.5 L ) - 100 pts Wine Advocate
• Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - 100 pts Wine Advocate
• Colgin IX Estate Red 2016 - 100 pts Wine Advocate / 100 pts Jeb Dunnuck
• Fonseca Vintage Port 1977 - 100 pts Wine Spectator

How? Easy! Visit https://corksforkids.maxgiving.bid

Simply register and you can start bidding! 

You can also click on the donations tab and make a cash donation. And when you do that, you can check out a little video made by my beautiful red-headed daughter explaining why the Hospital is so important to her. https://corksforkids.maxgiving.bid/donations

But wait, there's more! 

This Thursday at 6:30 pm, winemaker Maayan Koschitzky from Atelier Melka will be joining us virtually.

Maayan is director of winemaking for Atelier Melka, yes that Philippe Melka. Chances are you had or at least heard of some of the many wines that Atelier Melka produces, Screaming Eagle, Dalle Vale, Vineyard 29, and of course Melka Estates, just to name a few. These are some of the most sought after and highest rated wines in the world. Maayan is the man behind those wines, with his hands on the fruit, in the vats, racking barrels, really making wine. Miguel Luna brings his expertise from the vineyard. He’s a partner in Silverado Farming Company, one of Napa’s most prestigious vineyard management companies. They own and farm many of the best vineyards in Napa, their Rockstar list of clients includes Lail, Dana Estates, Mole Hill, Stags Leap Wine Company, Accedo Cellars, yep more 100 point wines…

For this tasting, we are featuring two of their personal project wines from La Pelle!

Tickets for the tasting are $20. You can reserve simply by  replying to this email. Or you can email danielle@chapelhillwinecompany.com. Or call her tomorrow at 919-968-1884. 100% of your ticket sale goes to the Children’s Hospital and is 100% tax deductible. You will receive a zoom link for the tasting via email on Wednesday and then again on Thursday.

For the tasting, we have selected a group of wines. You can purchase as many of them as you like. Perhaps you have a “clean” social circle you can invite over? I’m pricing the wines at a very low markup to try and lower the threshold to enjoy the tasting. When you reserve your ticket, you can order the wine as well. You don't have to have all of them to enjoy the event, as much of the discussion will be about wine in general. 

Here is this week's incredible lineup!

• 2018 La Pelle Sav Blanc, Napa - Sale $39.99 – NR / 2016 was 95 pts Jeb Dunnuck - From an old vine site in St. Helena, farmed organically by Silverado Farming Company. The dry-farming process produces fruit with excellent balance and intensity. Grapes were picked at first light during a cold foggy morning. We pressed whole clusters slowly to extract the free run juice without breaking the stems. The juice settled in tank for 24 hours prior to being transferred to 35% new French oak and 50% cigar shape barrels to cold ferment for 6-8 weeks, then aged for 19 months with very little intervention, racking only once prior to bottling. Expressive nose with bursts of citrus, lemon zest, white cherry blossom, white peach, jasmine, and lychee. The palate is crisp with vibrant acidity. This wine has nuances of minerality complemented with intensive white fruit flavors. The acid balances the palate and leaves layers of texture.  
•  2018 Royal Prince Chardonnay - Sale $22.99 - 94 pts Jeb Dunnuck - The 2018 Chardonnay comes all from the Sonoma Coast and was brought up in a mix of French oak (30% new) and stainless steel. Rocking notes of buttered peach, honeysuckle, white flowers, and a kiss of toasted almonds give way to a medium to full-bodied Chardonnay offering beautiful fruit, a solid spine of acidity, and a great finish. It shows more salinity and citrus fruits with time in the glass and has classic Sonoma Coast style. It could be twice the cost and still be a good value. Drink this beauty over the coming 2-3 years.
• 2018 Royal Prince Napa Cabernet - Sale $31.99 - 93 pts Jeb Dunnuck - The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon comes all from Napa Valley and is 100% Cabernet aged 20 months in 60% new French oak. It tastes as though it costs three times the price and has a rocking nose of blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco leaf, and cedar pencil, with a touch of rocky minerality and graphite showing with time in the glass. Not your simple, value-priced fruit bomb, it has considerable depth of fruit, building tannins, and a great finish. It can be drunk any time over the coming 15+ years. Hats off to winemaker Maayan Koschitzky for over-delivering on all these wines from Royal Prince.
• 2016 On Q Cadence Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville - Sale $62.99 - The “Cadence” displays an entirely opaque, dark purple-black core with hints of magenta on the rim. The nose is enticing and powerful, showing off intoxicating liqueur notes of créme de cassis and kirsch, alongside ripe black cherry, blackberries, fresh-picked violets, cacao, baking spices, vanilla and coffee bean, tobacco leaf, and crushed stones. The palate is full-bodied and mouth-coating with immense layers of dark fruit that are unabashedly rich and ripe. All this, however, is proportionately balanced by waves of persisting freshness and a touch of acidity that keeps it from entering a sappy/cloying territory that many “Cult Cabs” can’t seem to shake. Deep, almost dark as night, yet luminescent ruby in the glass, with intimately appealing inky violet highlights. A drop-dead gorgeous nose emerges as it breathes, dark red and purple fruits, spice, smoke, lavender all jump from the glass. Sip after sip, it reveals a sexy, nuanced and utterly stunning side, with an expressive, seamless mouthfeel and polished tannins. A majestic, textured, creamy finish rounds out this exuberant Cabernet combining richness with grace.
•  2018 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa - Sale $65.99 - A true showcase of the vintage, comprising 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. Grapes are sourced in-house from multiple vineyards managed by Silverado Farming Company. A blend of four appellations; Coombsville, Oak Knoll, Oakville, and St. Helena. Aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak and an additional 6 months in bottle prior to release.Aromas of blueberry, creme de cassis, black licorice, strawberry, dark plums, graphite, and crushed rocks. The palate presents a medium to full body and polished tannins, with inky flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry, and earth. Textural with bright acidity and freshness, this wine lingers with delight on the finish.

Reply to reserve tickets or buy wine!