messages in a bottle
When our staff shares wine together we like to open bottles that we’ve never tried. Whether we spend twenty dollars or a hundred we share tasting notes as we sip, talk about the right pairings, and the kind of person to whom we’d recommend the wine. We try to find the right words so we’ll be able to recreate the moment as we describe the wine to our customers because that’s what we want for them. We want them to have as harmonious an experience as we did when we drank the wine together.
We try to offer those snapshots through our wine descriptions in our stores and on our website. But when the pricier bottles arrive we don’t always have the chance to taste each one. We pride ourselves on finding wines that are true reflections of their regions. So we do our homework and find wines with a true sense of place.
This year we wanted to share a few of those wines with you. Every single one represents a happy moment yet to be shared.
Take a look at the full list here.
Foggy mornings in Piedmont
Cavallotto, Vignolo Barolo Riserva, 2013
Region: Barolo DOCG - Piedmont, Italy
Grape: Nebbiolo
"On the nose, tobacco and liquorice with undertones of red fruit jam, dry roses, and violets. On the palate it is dry, warm, and supple with sweet and rounded tannins. Overall a well-balanced wine with a long finish."
problem-solving Syrah
Philippe Pacalet, Cornas 2019
Region: Cornas AOP - Rhône Valley, France
Grape: Syrah
“An elegant, rich, and mineral wine with a beautiful plum color. It is slightly spicy and fruity (peaches) with floral notes of violet and licorice. It is velvety, tannic, and tasty.”
Organic, Sustainable, Vegan
the BORDELAISE on a mountain hike
Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello 2017
Region: Santa Cruz Mountains AVA - California, US
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc
“Opaque purple-ruby color. Ripe blackberry fruit, barrel spice, anise, violets, and crushed limestone. Opulent mountain fruits on entry, fennel, sweet oak, well-structured tannins, and firm acid. Powerful complexity and tremendous length to the finish.”
Organic
A celebration taken seriously
Dom Pérignon, Champagne Brut 2010
Region: Champagne AOP - Champagne, France
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
“On the nose, a luminous sweetness of tropical fruit – green mango, melon, pineapple – instantly shines. It then cedes to more temperate notes, the tingle of orange zest, the mist of a mandarin orange. The wine breathes, revealing its freshness. The bloom after the rain. A tactile sensation of peony, jasmine and lilac.
On your palate, the wine immediately imposes its ample presence, full and massive. A sappy sensation dominates as the tactile is rapidly overtaken by the aromatic. The body unfolds: generous, firm and controlled. Then it contracts, letting the wine vibrate with spices and pepper. The energy is sustained to a scintillating, saline finish.”
Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable
walking barefoot through the vineyard
Biondi-Santi, Brunello di Montalcino 2015
Region: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG - Tuscany, Italy
Grape: Sangiovese
“The sunny character of the 2015 Brunello speaks of a warm vintage with sweet, yet fragrant fruit, not at all opulent, sporting prominent notes of fresh cherries, typical of high-altitude Sangiovese. The fruit arises delicately from a bed of aromatic herbs such as thyme and rosemary with hints of licorice root.
On the palate the captivating structure reveals silky tannins backed up by the usual sensation of freshness that is instrumental for the fine balance which lies at the heart of the Biondi-Santi tasting experience. The finish is long and surprisingly savory, adding to the gastronomic personality of this Brunello.”
Miles Davis beside the Fireplace
Château Léoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien 2ème Grand Cru Classé 2014
Region: Pessac-Léognan AOP - Bordeaux, France
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
“The truly beautiful bouquet has notes of black fruit such as blackberry and blackcurrant along with empyreumatic overtones. The wine shows smooth, well-structured tannin on the palate, combining power and elegance from the beginning to the end.”
Sustainable
