Tastes from Bordeaux

Join us Friday & Saturday from 3-6pm as we taste some delicious new selections from Bordeaux! As always purchases of 3 Bottles from the Tasting Table get 10% off. 2012 Château Graville-Lacoste, Graves – The dry white wines of Bordeaux, often overshadowed by the famous reds, are particularly noteworthy from the Graves region. Graville-Lacoste is a premier producer, only concentrating on dry and sweet white wine. The 2012 graves is blended from 75% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle grapes creating a medium to medium-full bodied wine with hints of citrus, pear, and apple on the nose. The palate has vibrant acidity from the sauvignon and richness from the Semillon. These wines are fantastic with most fish, poultry, and curried dishes. $19.99 2010 Château Andron, Médoc – The large expanse of the Médoc contains the most highly regarded appellations on the left bank –Pauillac, St. Estephe, St. Julien, Margaux, including 4 of the 5 First Growth Châteaux. This wine is blended from 50% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc, slightly unusual as Cabernet Sauvignon is usually king here. The 2010 displays aromas of violet, dark plum, and hints of cedar, giving way to a nice texture with fine tannins. As with most red Bordeaux, the classic pairing is rack of lamb. $13.99 2009 Château Lyonnat, Lussac-St. Émilion – Lussac is near the great right bank appellation of St. Émilion, known for the greatest Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the world, notably Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone. The 2009 is 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc producing aromas of dark fruit and leather, with an aggressive palate full of cassis and blackberry followed by gritty tannins. $23.99 2010 Château Bel Air, Sainte Croix-du-Mont – Located next to the esteemed region of Sauternes, Sainte Croix-du-Mont produces seductive sweet wine from the botrytis method, at a much more down to earth price. The wine is 100% Semillon from 30-40 year old vines displaying aromas of nectarine, beeswax, and toast. The rich palate explodes with honey and spice, finishing with clean acidity. The sweet wines of Bordeaux are a classic accompaniment to foie gras, white cheeses, or dessert. $14.99/375ml

Cheers!

Flavors of Oregon

Join us Friday & Saturday from 3-6pm as we taste some delicious new selections from Oregon! As always purchases of 3 Bottles from the Tasting Table get 10% off. 2012 Kings Ridge Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley– As with most Oregon Pinot Gris, this offering is made from the Alsatian style clones, as opposed to the Italian clones (known as Pinot Grigio), resulting in a medium bodied white with aromas of ripe pear, nectarine, and melon. The wine shows a rich palate with great intensity and a long, lingering finish. This is great wine to serve with mild, soft cheeses and many fish dishes. $14.99 2012 Brooks Riesling, Willamette Valley – A dry Riesling produced from sustainably farmed grapes displaying aromas of stone fruit, white flowers and wet stone. The palate shows hints of tart lemon and grapefruit with a dry, chalky finish. This is a great wine to pair with sushi and raw shellfish. $19.99 2012 Kings Ridge Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley – Another fine small production selection from Kings Ridge, the ’12 Pinot Noir is aged for 10 months partially in steel and partially in neutral oak barrels. Aromas of fresh blackberry, cherry, and hints of chocolate, give way to full berry flavors with a balanced acidity and fine tannins. Try this with seared salmon or even barbecued pork ribs. $19.99

Cheers!

Great Iberian Tastes

Join us Friday & Saturday from 3-6pm as we explore wines from Spain and Portugal. Over the last decade these two countries have reinvented their wine industries with exciting and innovative top quality wines, establishing the best overall value in the world. As always purchases of 3 Bottles from the Tasting Table get 10% off. NV El Xamfra Cava Brut, Penedes, Spain - Cava doesn’t always get its due as a world class sparkling wine made using the laborious Champagne method. Blended from Macabeo, Xarello, and Parellada grapes, this Cava displays a warm nose and bright palate with smooth mousse and big body. This is a wonderful wine to drink on its own or paired with a variety of cheeses, appetizers, and fish dishes. $9.99 ’10 Montebuena ‘Cuvée KPF’ Rioja, Spain – A fantastic medium bodied Rioja made from 100% Tempranillo grapes. The wine is spicy, earthy, and dry with a bright underlying fruit on the nose. This is a great wine with roasted meats such as pork tenderloin. $9.99 ’10 Kopke Vinho Tinto, Douro, Portugal – While Douro has always been the heart of the port industry, it also produces world class dry table wines. This wine blends the local port grapes Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Rouriz, and Tinto Cão to produce a complex aroma of wild berry, cocoa and spice. The finish is balanced with fine tannins. Drink this with games dishes and roasted fish. $15.99 Please note that we will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday of Presidents week to do some hard earned skiing :)

Cheers!

Friday & Saturday Feb 7 & 8 from 3-6pm. Please join us as we try lesser known varietals and regions. NV Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco, Vechia Modena, Emilia-Romania, IT - This frizzante (slightly fizzy) wine is made from 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara grapes and displays a bright, focused red berry nose. On the palate it shows fresh mineral notes and a smooth, velvety finish. This Lambrusco is a dry wine with a deep pink color, though others can range to dark purple and be slightly sweet. It is a perfect aperitif wine, tough it also pairs well with pastas and cured meats. $14.99 '12 Hermann Moser Muskateller, Krems Valley, Austria - This Gelber Muskateller grape, which goes by many other names by region, has a clear, vibrant nose of flower, herb, and lemongrass, giving way to a palate of vivid acidity and dry spiciness. This wine is perfectly suited to accompany oysters and a variety of appetizers. $21 '10 Inama Carmenere, Veneto, IT - Carmenere, one of the classic Bordeaux grapes, has gained a strong foothold in Chile, but also excels in the foothills of the Dolomite mountains in northern Italy. This wine from Inama is blended with 30% Merlot and displays a pleasant nose of blackberry, black cherry, cocoa, and violet. The finish shows firm tannins and a hint of oak, flint, and fresh acidity. $19.99 Purchase of 3 of any of the tasting wines is discounted 10%.