I'm going to test everyone's attention span... there are three offers in this email... a red, dessert wine and a Champagne. Almost like planning a dinner... hmmm...

• Who ya' Calling "Fat"?
• Sumptuous Sauternes Vertical
• Truly Unique Champagne

Who ya' Calling "Fat"?

Gordo 2017

Regularly $17.99
Sale $13.99 - Beats Best US Price

Buy six or more for just $11.99 - save 33% - Best US Price

92 pts James Suckling

"Gordo" is our friend Patrick Mata's affectionate term for his father. Some son... it means "Fat one"! This label is a nod to his father, not just in name, but in reference to the fact that the Mata family has a long history of producing wine. Unfortunately, after four generations, the family was forced to close their winery during the Franco regime. The wine Gordo pays tribute to the Mata winemaking heritage and, specifically, to Patrick's father. The Gordo label is a replica of one of the family labels from the late 1800s. 

70% Monastrell / 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yecla region of Spain. Planted in 1970, these 45 year old vines are tended organically. The wine only sees three months in two year-old oak barrels, so the fruit is really shining through. The wine explodes from the glass with notes of red cherries, blackberries and a hint of Chinese Five Spice. Flavors of the same combine with blueberries in a rich, expansive wine. (Gordo!) At the price, you won’t feel bad popping a cork with simpler foods – burgers, wings, ribs, pulled pork. But for the quality, don’t hesitate to pair with fancier stuff – lamb chops off the grill with a side of minted peas would be superb!

"A beautiful red with sweet tobacco and berries. Some chocolate and cloves, too. Medium body, fine tannins and a delicious finish of fruit and dried citrus." JS


Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.

Sumptuous Sauternes Vertical

A rare opportunity to buy a vertical from one of the top estates in Sauternes. I grabbed every last bottle available, don’t miss them!

La Tour Blanche has been a benchmark of Sauternes for centuries and was one of the first Chateaux to be recognized as Premier Cru Classe status by the Syndicat des Courtiers en Vins de Bordeaux in 1855. Today the property is organically farmed and certified HVE 3 (High Environmental Values). Planted approximately to 83% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle, the make-up of the final blend can vary a little vintage to vintage. As with all great Sauternes these wines are delicious now and will age for decades in the cellar.

Sauternes (750 ml) 2009 – $82.99 net - 96 pts Wine Advocate / 96-98 pts Wine Enthusiast - “Pale gold colored, the 2009 la Tour Blanche gives up bold, youthful tropical fruit notes of green mango and passion fruit with touches of candied citrus and honeysuckle plus savory wafts of toasted almonds and baking bread. The palate is an exercise in poise and elegance with beguiling vibrancy and freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.” - WA “A powerful, complex wine, its layers of sweetness mixed with a total dryness from botrytis. The wine is impressively rich, considerably inspired by dried fruits and spice. Certainly for aging over decades.” - WE

Sauternes (375 ml) 2010 – $49.99 net - 94-96 pts Wine Enthusiast / 94 pts Wine Advocate - “Pale to medium lemon-gold color, the 2010 la Tour Blanche is a total spice bomb, featuring wonderfully redolent notes of nutmeg, coriander seed, cinnamon stick and powdered ginger with a core of pineapple upside-down cake, poached pears and bread dough. The palate is suitably rich and yet beautifully balanced, lending a refreshing, deceptively ethereal quality that will have you reaching for another irresistible glass. Yum!” – WA “Concentrated, chunky, the richness just a part of the huge power. It's a wine of considerable density, very liquorous.” - WE

Sauternes (750 ml) 2011 – $76.99 net - 93-95 pts Wine Enthusiast / 93+ pts Vinous Media - “This is a crisp-textured wine, with a complex structure of rich, dense fruits, spice and wood. The wine is only just coming together, promising many years of aging ahead.” – WE “Pale gold-tinged yellow. Apple, pear, white stone fruit, white flowers and sweet spices on the captivating nose. Sweet and highly concentrated, with ripe peach and spicy guava flavors quickly giving way to lovely mineral, vibrant citrus and spicy botrytis nuances. This taut, precise Sauternes finishes extremely long, with repeating floral nuances. A very impressive showing.” – WE
 
Truly Unique Champagne

L. Aubry Fils Le Nombre d'Or Veteres Vites Brut 2014

Sale $67.99

93 pts Wine Advocate

25% Chardonnay, 25% Arbanne, 25% Petit Meslier, 25% Pinot Blanc

Arbanne? Petit(e) Meslier? Say what?

The story begins in 1986, when the Aubry brothers decided to create a special cuvee to celebrate the 200th birthday of the winery in 1991. They wanted to produce a Champagne similar in style and character to what was made those 200 years prior. Very quickly, they realized they couldn’t. While the most casual drinker of Champagne knows that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier form the blending grapes for nearly all Champagnes, there are four others that are approved. And they didn’t used to be obscure, but were a major part of Champagne. While not quite extinct – the vines could be bought from the nursery – there were no considerable vineyards to even purchase grapes from. So the brothers set about grafting their own.

Gimmick? Marketing? Hardly. Think about it… will a wine, sparkling or otherwise, have more complex and a wide array flavors if it is made from one grape or two? Or four? Or seven?  In this case, more is truly more. So long as the winemaker knows what they are doing!

So check it out… Petite Meslier adds high acidity and laser-focused green apple flavors, alongn with a hint of fresh herbs. Pinot Blanc brings wonderful floral aromas and richness to the mouthfeel. Arbanne produces very little grapes, which is probably why it fell out of fashion, but the grapes it produces are concentrated with flavors. Finally, Chardonnay, which we all know, gives acidity, structure and refinement.

Put it all together and we have a wonderful Champagne that is as much a feast for the senses as it is for your intellect. Geek out or chill out… either way you will be thanking me!

“Aubry's newly-released 2014 Brut Nature Sablé Blanc de Blancs Le Nombre d'Or Campaniae Veteres Vites is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with notes of Meyer lemon, fresh pastry, toasted almonds and yellow apple. Medium to full-bodied, charming and enveloping, it's fleshy but precise, with a generous core of fruit, racy acids and a saline finish.” WA
 

Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.
 

We are open and offering curbside pickup, and 20% off custom-picked cases. Click here for more info. We also offer FREE Delivery to Raleigh/Durham on all orders over $300. You can add together multiple orders to reach that threshold. Call Danielle at (919)968-1884 to discuss delivery schedule. 

Wine... wine... wine... all we do is wine...

www.chapelhillwinecompany.com
CH (919) 968-1884
HB (919) 732-4343