Semaphore 7, 2009 Portugal

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This wine sure does go pretty well with the blueberries I’m eating for lunch.  No joke.  Surely I will dig up something more substantial a little later, but for now it’s wine and blueberries.  It feels like morning to me, even though it’s 1pm.  So really this is breakfast.  Wine for breakfast?  it’s the new coffee.

Okay, maybe not.  And I’m not really drinking, I’m merely tasting.  So what’s the deal with this wine?  Welllll…. it’s made out of a bunch of grapes you’ve probably not heard of, but I’ll tell you anyway:  a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Aragones, and Trincadeira.  Portugal, Portugal.  They just cannot call a grape something we ‘Murricans can remember.  They sure are a stubborn bunch.  Don’t they know that America is the center of the universe??  And that everything revolves around us?

I’m kidding, in case that sarcasm went over any of your heads.  I actually really appreciate the fact that this wine is true to from whence it came.  I know of a particular bottle of Primitivo that goes as far as to print Zinfandel in parentheses under the word Primitivo on the bottle.  I bet it took a whole team of marketing experts to decide on that one.  “Study groups have shown that sales increase drastically when there is a recognizable word on the label!”  Okay, so I made that up.  But I’m sure it’s not far from the truth.  And it’s all about the sales quota, isn’t it?

Well, no.  Not for this wine.  This wine is just going to be who it is.  And if you are unfamiliar with the grapes?  Google them!  That’s what I did.  Educate yourself.  You might learn a thing or two, and have a little fun.  And impress your friends.  So here’s what I learned; Aragones is Tempranillo.  It’s known as Aragones/Aragonez in one part of Portugal.  It’s known as Tinta Roriz in another part of Portugal.  Alicante Bouschet is a cross between Petit Bouschet and Grenache.  Grenache!  There’s a familiar word.  I like Grenache.  And if you do too, you will probably like this wine.

Okay, that was a LOT of wine-nerding for this post.  I think I’ve filled the quota for today.  Let’s move on to experiential things like how it tastes, smells, and behaves!  It’s mostly black fruit n’ flowers.  Since Portugal is best known for port, a lot of times with Portugese reds I get more hints of dried raisins (what other kind of raisin is there?), prunes, plums, blackberries and dried currants.   The Semaphore is young and fresh, so it offers a bit more ripeness and juiciness than many of its cousins and step-siblings might.  There’s also a really nice undercurrent of violets and maybe a little jasmine, followed by some exotic spices.  All in all, an interesting and fun to drink little bottle.

And the best part?  It’s inexpensive!  Retails for $11!  You can grab a bottle and be on your way, or you can sip on a glass during dinner at Cellar on Greene, where it’s on by the glass.  OR if you really wanted to be cool, you could ask for this in your next Mystery Case purchase!  Yes, it’s available as a Mystery Case pick.  Quite a few of you picked it the last two weeks, so hopefully you liked it!  That’s all I got time for today, so happy drinking!

Alma Negra Sparkling Rose of Malbec, 09 Argentina

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Okayokayokay.  I promise this will be the last Rose post for a while.  And for the record, this is a Rose sparkling, NOT strictly a Rose, so it’s a totally different category.  The first step was admitting I have a problem.  But honestly, I chose today’s wine based on what I feel like sipping on right now.  And it happens to be slightly pink in color.  Can you blame me?  It’s noon on Monday afternoon.  I’m chilling at Cellar listening to Fleet Foxes on Pandora.  And doing a little bit of work, too, I guess.  It’s truly a perfect storm of Rose necessity.

Okay, so I lied  a wee bit.  I didn’t just pick this wine for today  because I felt like drinking it, I also picked it because it’s awesome and different!  And I just found out it got 89 points from Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.  So that’s cool, too.  And check out the spooky dude on the bottle!  He must be the one with the black soul (alma negra = black soul).  Yikes!

Well, black as his soul might be, this wine’s soul is anything but!  Winemaker Ernesto Catena is sort of a badass to begin with, and his other line- Tikal– produces some of my all time favorite big, nasty Argentine reds.  The Almanegra line is just a baby- started in 2003.  When I first opened this bottle, I was expecting a bold, bright pink wine- seeing as it’s Malbec and new-worldy.  But I was to be surprised!  Check out it’s fairly delicate, light salmon coloring:

perty.

Cute, lively notes of sweet tarts and candied strawberries are a-plenty.  Light and fresh, with additional aromas of rhubarb, raspberries and fresh biscuits.  Sort of reminiscent of a summertime strawberry shortcake.  But one of those semi-sweet, crunchy shortcake biscuits, not a sticky sweet fluffy one.  I like those.  Light on its loafers, but offering a lengthy and elegant finish.

We sold the bejeezus out of this wine last Tuesday night during Champagne Tuesday!  And we likely will again tomorrow night.

What?  you haven’t been to Champagne Tuesday?  I find this hard to believe, first of all- but you need to get in on the action because every Tuesday night at Cellar we pour glasses of champage, cava, prosecco, and anything else that sparkles for half-off!  Flocks of females flood Cellar with a burning desire for frothy bubbles.  Did you like that alliteration?  I thought it was fun.  I really don’t know why I’m plugging Champagne Tuesday on here, because it stays busy with little to no help from moi.  BUT it is a perfect opportunity for you to try THIS WINE for $4 a glass!  Then you can whisk away a bottle to take home for $18.  It’ll be a good start to your week, and a good way to celebrate that we FINALLY made it to August, which means there’s only two more months of summer to go.  Yes, September counts as summer.  It’s still hot.

Las Lilas Vinho Verde Rose, 2010 Portugal

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“My name is Kaitlin, and I am a Rose Addict.”  Ahhh… it feels good to admit it.  I am powerless to resist the charms of Rose this summer.  It’s all I want.  I try to want other wines, I really do.  But when you hit on something as delicious as this Vinho Verde Rose, and it costs a ridiculous $10, it’s hard to fathom drinking anything else.

Check out it’s gorgeous, almost electric pink color!  She’s a purty one.  The color itself is just screaming “drink me!”  Something this vibrant in color just has to be delicious!  And it is.  It’s fresh and quenching the way a Vinho Verde was intended to be, but offers exciting flavors of strawberry soda, watermelon, and fizzy sweet tarts.  Its finish has a perfect lip-smacking “grip” that makes you feel instantly refreshed!

What to pair with this wine?  Hmmm.  How about a 100-degree day?  We have no shortage of those around here.  Or maybe a pool?  a lake?  the beach?  or just a back porch?  I know, I know- I’ve said all these things before.  But I feel very passionately that this Rose should be consumed at all of those places.  I know from experience!  Of course, I’ve also consumed it in boring places like my couch.  Which miraculously became extremely un-boring once I added a glass of Las Lilas!  It’s true, you must try it.

Here’s a shameful moment in my life as a Rose drinker that I’d like to share; I feel compelled to purge myself and just give in to my total and complete Rose obsession- because at this point, there’s nothing else to be done.  So there may have been a bottle of Las Lilas in my refrigerator at some point recently, and I may have been reaching for the cream for my morning coffee, when…  I glanced at Las Lilas and suddenly thought “that would taste good right now.”  I should also admit- I don’t do much before I’ve had coffee- including talk to people.  But this thought entered my head with 100% seriousness.  So deep is my devotion to pink wine, and this wine in particular, that I really thought about having some first thing in the morning.  And that concludes the How Big of a Lush am I? portion of this entry.

If this goes on much longer, I might turn into this:

help me! I love Rose too much!

“I just really love this wine… I want it on a porch… I want it in a pool… I want to taste it all the time!!  …and… wait a minute, what I really want to say is… *sniffff*… Oh, I’m SORRY, I was just thinking about how much I love this WINE… again!   and I just got all choked up when I thought of all the people out there that haven’t tried it!  aaaand… who might LOVE it the way I do!  I mean, there’s so much bad wine out there, and this one just needs people to LOVE it!  that’s all it needs!  *blows nose* ..ohhh, I just can’t handle iiiit!”

Does anyone know if that video is for real??

Lastly, you can sample this wine tomorrow, July 9th from 12-2 at Cellar’s big ‘ol wine sale from 12-2!  Or any night of the week, as it’s by the glass.  For a while.  Maybe forever.

How to order a Mystery Case!

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It’s Monday morning and CJ is at work with a serious case of the Mondays.

Bored and listless, she suffers.  All she can think about is the weekend that is so far away.  It’s going to be so hot this week.  She just wants to click her heels and not be in Kansas aka Monday anymore.

But wait.  She vageuly remembers getting an email from Cellar on Greene last week.  Something about a Mystery Case.  $90 for a case of wine?  At the time she blew it off because surely it was too good to be true, and she couldn’t think about wine last Thursday anyway, because she’d had a bit too much the night before and was feeling ill.  But today!  Today was the day.  Thoughts of wine would whisk her away to her happy place where it was Friday at 5pm instead of Monday at 10am.

So she opens her email and scrolls down.  Here is what she sees:

wow! some cool people must've written this!

Hallelujah!  This is awesome!

hercules! hercules!

She gets busy picking her five choices out of the 24 wines available for the Mystery Case.  She hasn’t heard of many of the wines, but there’s a Cava listed and she loves Sparkling wine so she’s pumped about that.  A Sangiovese sounds good too.  She knows the people at Cellar have a lot of good wine, so she trusts that the remaining bottles will be good.   Off goes her order…

She waits patiently.  What will happen next?  did they get her order?  what if they didn’t?  anxiety sets in.  She paces.  She gets a snack to distract herself.  After some deep breathing exercises, she feels better- and then bam!  Look what arrives in her inbox!!

god these people are good.

Relief washes over her.  She WILL be getting her wine today!  Her phone rings and it’s Kaitlin on the other end.  CJ excitedly reads off her credit card number, where it is safely stored in a fancy filing cabinet at Cellar on Greene.  The rest of her day she spends in a jittery haze, trying to get work done but really thinking about wine ALL. DAY.  Meanwhile, at Cellar, Kaitlin gets to work packing up her wine:

glamorous work, this is.

Kaitlin actually has a lot of fun packing Mystery Cases.  If she knows you well enough, she will likely pick wines that she knows you’ll especially like.  For example, if the last time you had dinner at Cellar you really enjoyed a Malbec- you will probably find an extra Malbec in your case.  She has a wierd memory for wines people like.

At long last, CJ escapes from her prison of employment and comes to pick up her wine.

She arrives breathless and estatic.  At last she will be united with her twelve bottles of wine.  Since she already paid for her wine, she doesn’t even need to bring her purse in!  She and Kaitlin have a meaningful exchange and CJ snatches her case away.

Giddily, she drives home.

chill.

Ahhhhh!  Loot!  She relaxes on the sofa and picks a random bottle to open.  Bonarda?  she’d never heard of it before, but she likes it!  And to think, all this transpired in the course of one day.  And for just $97.60, including tax.  It’s shocking to say the least.

Please note: no actual wine was consumed during this process.  That’s our story and we’re sticking to it. 

Reunion Malbec, 2009 Mendoza

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Who loves Malbec?  You ALL do.  I know you do, because it’s our best seller at Cellar!  A Cellar-best-seller I call it.  Not my most creative use of words, but it sure it fun to say.  Cellarbestseller.  Argentinian wines, especially Malbec, have definitely boomed over the past several years.  Malbec Mania, you could call it.  The United States imported a whopping 48% of Argentina’s exported Malbec in 2010! (source).  We luuuuvs the stuff.  And while I’ve heard buzz from various wine publications that Chile may be poised to rival Argentina in 2011 in terms of sales, if Columbia is any indicator, Malbec hasn’t lost any ground.  In all honesty, Columbia probably isn’t a good indicator, but that doesn’t serve my point very well.

But onward we move- let’s talk about why this wine rocks!  First of all, I know you want to know how much it costs.  Because you’re not going to keep reading if its outta your price range.  But it’s only $13!  So keep reading!  Malbec consistently over-achieves in this price range, which is a good reason it’s so darn popular.  Malbec is perhaps one of the friendlier grapes I know; it is approachable, easy-going and likeable, and the Reunion is no exception.  A concentrated deep magenta/purple-y color, it is ripe with flavors of plum and cherries, with a truly lip-smacking palate of dark chocolate, black pepper, and light leather.  Its right on the money at 13.5% alcohol, as you are not left with any hotness whatsoever.  It strikes me as a relatively unmanipulated wine, meaning it is a pure expression of what an Argentine Malbec should be, without excessive interference from oak or a meddling winemaker.  It just is.

malbec grapes. they look a lot like... grapes.

I’m trying desperately to come up with a superhero to compare this wine to, but I think that would be a bit of a reach, even for me.  Basically I saw X Men First Class this week and it was amazing, so all I can think about are superheroes.  Allow me to divert into a bit of a rant, if you would.  Up until last week I didn’t think there were people out there that legitimately think it’s okay to make fun of someone for liking the X Men movies.  I was called a loser, I was asked if I was going to get an X Men lunch box, and a slew of other insults were hurled at me by this person (ahem… Trevor).

Personally, I question anyone that cannot appreciate a good escape into fantasy.  I question their inability to enjoy things that are imaginative and fun and allow us a brief respite from our everyday lives.  How is this a bad thing?  It’s FUN to imagine a world where I don’t have to pay bills, return library books on time, vacuum up the never-ending amount of cat hair that coats my floors, or remember to change the air filter in my AC.  It would be much cooler if I could control metal, read people’s minds, fly, create hurricanes, or make myself look like anyone I want.  So go see X Men First Class.  It’s good.  And when you get home you can open a bottle of wine and contemplate what super powers you would want if superheroes were real.  This is a better use of time then watching a lot of the crap that’s on TV, in my opinion.

Okay, let’s change the subject.  Here’s a cute picture of Ricky’s beagle, Reggie:

She’s just chillin’ in the armchair.  She’s a very Zen sort of beagle.  I think she appreciates fantasy life.  And maybe even wine.

Alright that’s all I got for today.  Reunion Malbec is by the glass at Cellar on Greene for the forseeable future, and can of course be purchased to take home for $13 a bottle any old time you want!

 

Rocca Bastia Pinot Grigio, 2010 Veneto

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Rocca Bas-tee-ah.  I was saying Rocca BAS-tee-ah for a while there.  But I don’t think anyone heard me, so it matters not.  It’s been a while since I took on an Italian white, and my extreme fondness for white wine does not generally extend to Pinot Grigio… but THIS is a really pleasant surprise!  An excellent value, and a really stunning level of complexity for its… wait for it… $9 PRICETAG!  Yipeeeee!

So, what’s to like about this lil guy?  Well, I just gave you one reason- it’s $9!  But I’d rather throw $9 out the window than spend $9 on a crappy bottle of wine- so when I share my excitement over it’s price, it’s because I have deemed that it is worthy enough to be hailed as a truly delicious bottle of wine, not just a decent cheap bottle of wine that you won’t want to spit out.  You dig?  Good.

I can hear servers and bartenders all accross America heaving a collective sigh as the ladies at his or her table announce “I’ll take a glass of the Pinot Grigio.”  Heavy hearted, they ring the order in and secretly suspect that these broads are the type who just want something in their hand to sip on, and they couldn’t give a hoot what it tastes like or anything about it.  They fight the desire to pour some water into it and see if they notice.  They prepare themselves for the separate checks that will certainly be forthcoming, even though everyone’s bill comes to exactly the same amount.  Does that sound like your stereotypical Pinot Grigio drinker?  Yup.

Unfortunately, Pinot Grigio in the restaurant world is sort of a sad story.  It can be marked up more than it should be, because the owner knows it will sell regardless.  Wine retailers probably stock Santa Margherita somewhat begrudgingly, knowing that it will sell no matter how hard they try to get people to branch out.  It’s sort of like casting a really smokin’ hot blonde in a summer blockbuster movie.  Even if she’s not particularly charming or even beautiful, the fact that she’s wearing Daisy Dukes and a cut off white t-shirt will ensure that people see the movie.  But that’s the way it goes, I guess.

Before I get too verbose, let’s move on to the actual WINE.  The reason I like it is because it is perfectly balanced between light fruit, citrus, minerality and a nice flowery finish.  And perfect acidity to make it thirst-quenching and sublime for hot weather.   Tart notes of green apple, lime, and a sweet hint of honeysuckle.  The finish is longer than expected, and it’s clean and minerally.  I don’t ask for much more than this.  Don’t be boring and innocuous- show me some liveliness!  Show me some zest!  that’s what this wine has.  A friendly, lively zestiness.  It must have had fun hanging out in the bottle or during fermentation, because it’s really pretty pumped to be alive.  It arrives in your glass with enthusiasm.  You didn’t think that was possible in a simple little bottle of Pinot Grigio, did you?  well, give it a shot, because I ain’t makin’ this up.

TONIGHT, May 25th from 5-7 at Cellar, I will be introduced to this wine’s step-sibling, the Rocca Bastia Soave, as well as a few other Italian whites, which I’m pretty excited about.  If you’d like, you may meet them too!   Also known as a wine tasting, this meet & greet will cost you something like $7 and will definitely cool you off after the thermometer hits a fantastic 99 degrees today.  AWESOME.  Not.  Come to think of it… this would also be perfect to throw in the car with you on your way to the lake or the beach this Memorial Day weekend… why yes, it would.  Just sayin’.

Can’t make the tasting?  We have plenty of the Rocca Bastia in stock at Cellar for $9 a bottle.  It’s also available as part of our $90 Mystery Case.  Whuck??  never heard of a Mystery Case?  Get to it.  Oh, you don’t know what “whuck” means?  You poor thing.  You haven’t discovered Rants from Mommyland yet.  You need to get on that, too.  I don’t even have children and I’ve been staying up late laughing til I cry.  That’s all I got, thanks for reading and happy almost Memorial Day!

Orin Swift “D66” 2009 France… yup, France!

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Orin, Orin, Orin… so many new releases this year, I can barely keep up!  And you continue to impress, especially with your label art…

Simple, graphical color-blocking.  I like.  What’s inside?  A blend of mostly Grenache, with a little Syrah and a little Carignan.  So, it’s a Rhone blend?  Well, yes… sort of.  It has broken the mold of Rhone blends.  Shattered it, actually, into a million pieces.

Now I’m no Fancy Sommelier, but if I blind-tasted this wine, I don’t think I’d have ever guessed it was from France.  Spain would’ve been my best guess, probably Jumilla.  Although I wouldn’t have faulted myself for this error, since Vin de Pays de Cotes Catalanes is practically in Spain.  This wine actually reminds me a bit of the “I-will-live-forever-in-cult-infamy” wine from Bodegas El Nido called CLIO, which is a Monastrell-Cab blend.  Many have fallen victim to it’s charms and never recovered, destined to one day be on a therapist’s couch whimpering “Once I tried the Clio, nothing ever really impressed me again.”

But that was before they met D66.  This is a true Orin Swift wine- rich, opulent, hedonistic, and seductive.  Almost black in color, it’ll coat your glass with it’s silky layers of dark fruit, spice, and moist earth.  Notes of bitter cherry, raisins, toasty vanilla, and exotic Asian spices are all perfectly balanced out in it’s 15.2 alcohol content.   A nice amount of tannin on the finish distinguishes it from just your average big nasty fruit bomb.  It’s truly gorgeous.  If I were you, I’d snap one up quickly as these wines sell out faster than you can say terroir.

If I may use a clever analogy, the D66 is sort of like French Wine Meets Monster Truck Rally.  “SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!  ORIN SWIFT DOES FRANCE!  Death-defying stunts and POWER POWER POWER!”  Okay, so I’ve never been to a Monster Truck Rally, but I have memories singed into my consciousness of those TV commercials.  I don’t mean to trivialize the D66 by any means, but this is just where my mind went with it.  Call it French wine on Steroids.  Call it French wine “juiced up.”  Call it whatever you want.  It’s a beast.  Enjoy.

This wine is currently in stock at Cellar on Greene for $42.  Check out Orin Swift Cellars Website for more info on all their juice.

A big fat ROSE post!!

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Oh, sweet Jesus thank you for Rose!  Warning: if you are under the impression that pink wine sucks, you can stop reading right about now.  Or I should say- if you are firmly resolute in that belief, and have no desire to think otherwise, then you can stop reading.  However, if you are willing to consider (just consider!) that your long clung-to belief that pink wine sucks MIGHT be slightly inaccurate, than READ ON!  Because I just might change your mind.  I’m pretty determined about this.

The kids.

Why do I like pink wine so much?  Hmm.  Let me examine that one.  One of the reasons I like pink wine is because it reminds me of warm sunny days and relaxation.  There is something carefree about a pink bottle of wine, it just screams “forget about all those little annoying things about life and just drink me.”  Does this identify me as a procrastinator?  Well, yes, I am.  It doesn’t take a bottle of pink wine to make me want to procrastinate.  But it’s not just about procrastination or warm sunny days.  It’s more about slowing down to actually just do one.thing.at.a.time.  Which isn’t always easy.  So I’m by no means suggesting that you blow off all your responsibilities and jet off to the nearest pool to drink rose and not give a F*@% about anything.  But a rose to me suggests setting aside a small block of time to just do ONE thing, and that thing is gently sip a glass of rose.  Notice how pretty it’s color is, how frosty and inviting the bottle is, contemplate all the lovely fruits you taste in it.  Call it a meditation if you want.  So maybe that’s why I like pink wine.  It reminds me to slow down and enjoy.

Yesterday was a good day for me, as you can see by all the open bottles pictured above!  This is possibly the first of many posts about Rose in store for you this summer.  First in line we have my personal favorite, the Charles & Charles Rose of Syrah, 2010 Washington State.  As you can tell, it has the lightest, most delicate coloring.  But don’t you dare call it a pansy.  This just released wine is sleek, sexy and polished.  It has pretty femininity, with a masculine edge.  How, you ask?  You’ll taste lovely notes of raspberry, sour cherry and pomegranate.  Then you’ll notice some exciting hints of herbs and leaves.  It’ll hit you with a nice dose of acidity and minerality, and then at the very end?  a touch of strawberries and cream.  Ahhhhh.  I love it.  Crisp, refreshing, and an awesome looking bottle to boot.  Goes on by the glass tonight, and retails for $13.

This one’s a fun one- just look at the name!  Gaga Rose, 2009 California (retail $11).  This was the most fruit-forward of today’s bunch, with a somewhat sweet finish.  Ripe, ripe, ripe red fruits to be found here; watermelon, red cherries, strawberries and a faint aroma of herbal tea.  All fruit all the time once you taste it, too- plus be prepared for some yummy flavors of watermelon Jolly Ranchers!  Now, I can’t tell you what to do, but I think this one in particular would make a great gift for that 20-something year old niece, daughter, sister, friend, whatever-of-yours that’s graduating this weekend!  It will make you seem very hip and in tune with what the “kids” are into these days.  Plus, nothing says “welcome to the real world” like wine!

Next on the list is the Bodegas Tikalo Albaliza Rosado, 2010 Spain.  I like this wine for it’s sturdy simplicity, nice marriage of fruit and dryness, and of course, PRICE (retail $9!).  It has a nice deep color and is made of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet.  It’s fruit offers a little more tartness- think cranberries, with notes of rose petals, spice and a palate-pleasing “quench.”  I’m a big fan of this one as an everyday go-to Rose, and perfect for entertaining given it’s friendly pricetag.  You will most certainly find this one at this Saturday’s Wine Sale at Cellar from 12-2 if you wish to experience it for yourself!

Last but not least, we must include a Rose bubbly!  Life is not complete without pink bubbles.  This one has been a favorite of mine for quite some time, and we also just put it on by the glass.  So, you know how everyone likes Champagne?  Well, it turns out, they make sparkling wine in France that’s NOT just from the Champagne region.  And often, it represents some of the best value out there AND can often be more delicious (in my opinion) than a “true” Champagne.  Such is the case with the Marquis de la Tour Brut Rose, NV Loire Valley.  I especially love sparkling from the Loire, and this little guy is made by Remy Pannier, one of the better known and well-respected Loire valley producers.  It’s a pretty salmon color, and has a delicate, fresh palate of strawberries and peaches, perfect mousse, and a round mouthfeel.  It makes a perfect party guest and will please the masses fo’ sho!  And you can party with it all night long, too- cuz it only costs $11! 

Soooo… what do you say?  you’ll give pink wine a try?  Pretty please?  Here’s one last plea- well, not so much a plea as a statement of fact- and it comes with every case of Charles & Charles Rose (yes, you can have one, but only if you buy a case):

Some white wines for Royal Wedding day!

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So, I’ve been up since 4 relishing every detail of the Royal Wedding…

aaaahahahaha!  No I haven’t.  Not at all.  I get the fascination and I’m not a hater, but it’s not my thing.  Although I will admit to browsing Tom & Lorenzo for a few pictures of the dress.  Interestingly, I was enamored of the Maid of Honor’s dress rather than the sea of lace and fabric worn by the bride.  But good choice with McQueen, and it was a pretty amazing piece of craftsmanship.  That’s enough of that!  Let’s move on to things I REALLY like…

WHITE. WINE.  I can’t get enough white wine.  I’ve been trying to write this post for about two weeks.  I started with just picking the Chono Sauvignon Blanc.  Then we got the Anne Amie Muller-Thurgau in and I fell madly in love, so I was going to have it be a dual post.  Then the 2010 Kung Fu Girl came in.  Then just this week, two more favorites arrived.  So, this is a big fat post dedicated to perrenial favorites and new obsessions.

First is my original blog pick, the Chono Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Chile.  Those of you who read me often know I’ve been in a Chile phase for months now, and I think THIS wine might be the root cause of it all.  So deep is my love of this wine.  I love this wine and I love its price ($11).  This is definitely one of those wines that reminds you that is IS possible to drink delicious wine and not pay a lot for it.  It is effortless in its tangy, thirst-quenching, fruity-with-a-hint-of-herbs palate.  Perfect acidity on the finish really make this one refreshing.  There is just enough grapefruit present to make it enjoyable, yet not have the ONLY thing you can think about be the taste of grapefruit, as is the occasional case with New Zealand Sauv Blancs.  Love it.

Next in the procession comes the Anne Amie Muller-Thurgau, 2010 Oregon.  ($16).  I just call it MULL-er for short.  This is one of my favorite weird grapes.  I thought it might have been a fluke when I fell hard for the Colterenzio Muller-Thurgau last year.  But no.  The Anne Amie is representin’ and I’m into it.  There’s lots more wine-nerdy info on Muller in the Colterezio post, so for today we’ll keep it simple and say that Muller is sort of like a cross between an off-dry Riesling and an old world Gewurztraminer.  Aromas of fresh white flowers, melon, yellow apples and light citrus permeate- and then the finish offers a little zing! of spice and minerality.    Yum.  ‘Nuff said.

So to wrap things up for today, here’s a few things that just came in.  The 2010 vintage of the Kung Fu Girl Riesling is here!  and it’s awesome.  The ’10 is probably better than the ’09 by just a hair- read this post of the ’09 and than just take it up a notch on the wow scale.  And it still maintains its nice price of $14.  Lioco Chardonnay, 2009 Sonoma is here, too!  This is a gorgeous Cali Chard that will leave you speechless.  If you’ve EVER uttered the words “I don’t like Chardonnay,” the Lioco will laugh in your face.  And then change your mind.  It’s one of the cool kids.  Lush and fruit-forward with aromas of lemon curd and pears, followed by a really gorgeous, silky mouthfeel.  None of that over-oaked over-buttered Cali Chard business.  Which has its place, but not here.  $19 gets you this bottle.  Last is a literal party-in-a-bottle, the Xarmant Txakolina, 2009 Spain for $15.50.  Never had Chak-oh-lee-na?  It’s awesome.  It’s sort of like Vinho Verde’s step-sibling, as it has a teeny fizz when you open it and it’s lean, tart and focused.  Tons of green apple and notes of lemon thyme and other herbs.  Yet another awesome pool or porch sipping wine.

Hopefully one of these spoke to you!  Actually, ALL of these wines are by the glass at Cellar right now, so you’re welcome to try a taste the next time you’re around to see what you think!  Ciao for today!

Young’s Barbera, 2006 California

/ thewinesnob / 1 Comment

Well, I was all set to declare Summer 2011 to be the Summer of Rose this week, and dive right in to a Rose.  I had one all picked out.  Okay, so maybe I declared last summer the Summer of Rose.  But in my mind, EVERY summer should be the Summer of Rose.  That is, until I saw the forecast.  Rain, rain, rain.  Cold, cold, cold.  These things do not indicate good Rose drinking weather.  So I perseverated about one last Big Red to write about this week.  Which was difficult, because I was reeeeeeeeally in the mood for whites and roses.  But after three straight days of rain, I’m singing a different tune. 

Actually, I don’t know why I didn’t write about this one sooner, considering how popular it’s been at the last few wine sales!  The craze started over the winter with their Petite Sirah.  We sold it out- case after case.  Then we sold out the Syrah.  Now we’ve moved on to the Barbera, and it’s holding steady for us for the moment.  We even decided to put it on by the glass this week!  The Young’s wines really seem to hit the nail on the head for many of our wine shoppers and drinkers as far as value is concerned- this bottle retails for just $12, and it’s formidable size make it a whopper of a deal.   

It’s the epitome of juicy!  A nice combo of dark and red fruits like plums, pomegranates and blackberries, with nice complex notes of kirsch liqueur and light spices.  Barbera is not known for having a ton of tannin, so I’m impressed that all this fruitiness is so potent after 5 years in the bottle.  This is a perfect wine to keep around for entertaining- Burger night, Pizza night, dancing to Michael Jackson: the Experience night… pretty much anything goes with this wine. 

Another reason I love this wine- the label art!  It’s pretty and feminine yet somewhat sultry.  Check out the artist’s website here!  We’ll have this wine on by the glass as long as it lasts, so you can grab a taste the next time you’re in our corner of Five Points!