“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance” Ben Franklin
APERITIFS
Vintage: NV, Emeri Sparkling Shiraz; Southeastern Australia
Grape Variety: 100% Shiraz
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:11.99
Notes: The DeBortoli family is a 3rd generation winemaking family. Sparkling Shiraz is unique to Australia and has been made since the 1860’s Although appearing to be sweet with aromas of raspberry, it finishes very dry. Winery motto: “Let the wine make itself.”
WHITE WINES
Vintage: 2006 Trimbach Gewurztraminer; Alsace,France
Grape Variety: 100% Gewurztraminer say: ga VERZ tra mee ner
Alcohol: 13%
$$$:25.99
Notes: One of the rarest and exotic smelling wines that you will ever taste. Because it is a nightmare to grow, it is not planted everywhere. The smell of rose petals,fruit and spice makes it intoxicating on the nose. It is the perfect companion to “hot” Asian or Cajun dishes and good with Munster cheese.
ROSE WINES
Vintage: 2009 Mulderbosch; Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:11.99
Notes: This is NOT WHITE ZINFANDEL. Refreshingly fruit-forward, this wine is very versatile with food especially summer salads and grilled Tuna
REDS
Vintage:2008 Viu Manent Carmenere; Colchagua Valley, Chile
Grape Variety: 100% Carmenere
Alcohol: 14.5%
$$$:8.99
Notes: This is Chile’s signature grape with over 4,000 hectares under vine. This is a glass of cherryfruit flavors and smoky spice. It reminds me of dark chocolate, tobacco and leather. Originally planted in Bordeaux,France, it has all but died there and Chile has made it her own. Dark crimson in color hence its name,is smooth with well rounded easy drinking tannins Not meant for aging and should be drunk young and fresh. This grape is often confused with Merlot but ripens three weeks after merlot.
Vintage: 2008 Menage a Trois; Napa County, California
Grape Variety: Blend of equal amounts of : Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:11.99
Notes: This is a fun wine! It is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter, like cotton candy melting in your mouth. Each variety was fermented separately and then blended together. The Cab forms the bottom layer with its backbone and complex character; the Zin is in the middle with all its Jammy sweetness and fruit and the Merlot is on the top with its well rounded fruit.
Great with grilled meats and chicken. This is the great experiment of putting three young grapes together in one action packed bottle!
Vintage: 2007 Moulin a Vent Domaine Diochon Beaujolais, France
Grape Variety: 100% Gamay
Alcohol: 13%
$$$:24.99
Notes: this is NOT Beaujolais Nouveau but one of the 10 villages in Beajolais. It is considered the KING of them all . In 1695 the Duke of Burgundy banned the grape as “a very bad and disloyal plant.” This village produces one of the longest lasting and powerful wines in the region. It can be cellared for up to ten years. This wine is like pure silk and has the power of an iron glove over a velvet fist!
Vintage: 2007 Domaine Drouhin, Pinot Noir; Willamette Valley, Oregon
Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.9%
$$$:40.00
Notes: All the grapes are hand-picked with a long and careful fermentation. Custom made Burgundy Oak barrels are used for aging. “French soul, Oregon soil is their trademark. Veronique is the daughter of the world famous Burgundy producer Joseph Drouhin. They have been making wine since 1988 in Oregon and have always been on the viticultural cutting edge of the region. Much of their wine is restaurant allocated so this is a rare treat to have available. The wine always scores in the 90”s for those keeping track. Just think of yourself in a smoke and spice box of cherries and you have an idea of the wine’s flavor profile. There are racy red fruit flavors that are well balanced with a long persistent flavor which will leave you calling for a second glass. Can cellar up to 10 years
Vintage: 2003 Chateau Clerc Milon; AOC Pauillac, Bordeaux, France **
Grape Variety: this wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34%Merlot, 14%Cabernet Franc, 3%Petit Verdot, 1%Carmenere
Alcohol: 13%
$$$:75.00-100.00 Note: maybe hard to find in case supply
Notes: This is Rothchild’s 2nd wine. Approx. 14,000 cases made annually. This is a powerful, rich, dense wine. The wine is aged in oak for 18 months of which 30% is new. With the blend you get layers of flavors. The tannins are well defined with notes of smoke, coffee, and vanilla flavors There is also a hint of nuttiness. The firm structure on the palate leads to a lingering finish. Can cellar for up to 20 years. The wine scored in the 90’s for both Wine Spectator and the Wine Enthusiast The Dancing Clowns on the label are precious stones made by a German goldsmith in the 1690’s and in Rothchild’s Wine and Art Museum
Vintage: 2004 Brunello di Montalcino; Castello Banfi DOCG Montalcino,Italy
Grape Variety: 100% Sangiovese
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:75.00
Notes: This is a great Italian Estate located in the Brunello region of Tuscany that dates back to the Renaissance. You can actually stay on the property. The winery has won numerous International and Italian Awards not to mention in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines. This is a powerhouse of a wine. It lives for 2 years in oak followed by 2 more years in bottle It is full-bodied with well integrated tannins. There are fabulous aromas of Black fruit, think blueberry Pie. 2004 is a big time vintage. It has great structure and finishes very long and dry. It will definitely rip your face off if you are not careful!!
Vintage: 2006 Planeta Santa Cecilia, Nero D’Avola IGT Sicily
Grape Variety: 100% Nero D’Avola
Alcohol: 14%
$$$:30.00
Notes: Planeta is Sicily’s leading wine producing families. There wineries are spread throughout the country. This is a smooth and opulent wine that will leave you panting for more. It is brazenly oaky spending 12 months on oak. Cinnamon spice and plumy fruit flavors linger on the tongue. Highly concentrated and intense, it has a long delicious finish too! Think beef tenderloin…
Vintage: 2001 Travaglini Gattinara Riserva; DOCG Piedmont, Italy
Grape Variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:80.00
Notes: Scored a 92 in Wine Spectator; Lots of fruit and spice on the nose;this wine is a full-bodied gem that is highly structured with chewy tannins. The finish is long lasting and juicy. Best with grilled meats and hearty stews. The term Riserva stands for additional aging, (3 years or more in oak)
Vintage: 2002 Syrah, Vineyard of Pasterick; Dry Creek Valley,Ca. **
Grape Variety: 97%Syrah, 3%Viogner
Alcohol: 14%
$$$:45.00 Note : this vintage is sold out but can get other ones; may have to be shipped so additional shipping charges may apply
Notes: This wine is near and dear to my heart as I worked on this vintage. It follows a classic “Cote Rotie” template It is a dark handcrafted, unfiltered and unfined richly aromatic wine. The fruit is drawn from two distinct geological hills: one a hill of rich red clay, the other millions of years old bedrock. The grapes are co-fermented with Viogner. The wine goesthrough a second malolactic fermentation to smooth out the tannins. This is a very rich and elegant wine with a finish that will stay with you for a long time.
Vintage: 2008 Ridge California Sonoma County Three Valleys; Ca
Grape Variety: 74%Zinfandel, 11%Petite Sirah, 5%Carignane, 4%Matoro, 3%Syrah, 3%Grenache
Alcohol: 14.2%
$$$: 26.99
Notes: As you can see this is a special Zin with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Paul Draper Ridge’s wine maker is a true “mad scientist” of a blender! This is an elegantly structured wine that packs a big wallop;one of Ridge’s many Zins in their portfolio.
DESSERT WINES
Vintage: NV Neige Cidre de Glace; Quebec,Canada
Grape Variety: actually a blend of Apples:80% McIntosh and 20% Spartan
Alcohol: 11%
$$$:29.99
Notes: the first Apple Ice Wine; started production in 1994; uses Natural Cryoextration to produce the wine; verycrisp and a perfect balance of aceid and sugar
CHEERS!!
** wines from my personal collection
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