UPDATED AS OF April 7, 2012
JAYSON 2009 North Coast CHARDONNAY
$4.20/taste
You can't make a much
bigger Chardonnay than Pahlmeyer's Jayson wine...it's a big, toasty,
creamy, big Chardonnay. Despite our preference for lower-alcohol wines, we
have to
admit, this is magnificent!
MEYER FAMILY 2009 Oakville CABERNET $4.50/taste
The Meyer family were founders of Silver Oak and today they still
have a small patch of Cabernet
in Napa, along with Syrah in Mendocino. This is a lovely, small production
wine which you
may find reminiscent of Silver Oak's wine.
NALLE 2009 DRY CREEK ZINFANDEL $3.20/taste
The Nalle family makes "old fashioned" Zinfandel from
Sonoma's Dry Creek. It's a low-tech wine,
so no picking the grapes at high sugar, watering back or Spinning Cone/Reverse
Osmosis.
MINER FAMILY 2009 Napa CHARDONNAY $3/taste
While the Ramey wine posted above is complex and profound...this wine
will appeal
to those who prefer something a bit less subtle. Lots of toasty oak and
creamy notes...
RATTI BARBERA D'ALBA $1.90/taste
Our friend Pietro Ratti is making some fantastic wines and he offers
them at honest
price levels. Nice berry fruit and a light bit of oak...
TYRRELL'S Heathcote SHIRAZ $1.80/taste
Tyrrell's is a classic, old-fashioned winery in Australia. No
critters on the label.
No sweet red wines for Robert Parker/Wine Spectator.
RAMEY 2009 RUSSIAN RIVER CHARDONNAY $3.90/taste
Stony, appley Chardonnay
that's dry and nicely oaked...we say this fellow makes
"Chardonnay for adults."
POJER & SANDRI 2009 MULLER-THURGAU $2/taste
From vineyards near their mountain winery, this is a mildly citrusy,
lightly
herbal and bone dry Muller-Thurgau.
BODEGAS RIOJANAS 2004 RIOJA RESERVA $2.20/taste
Nicely oaked, classically-styled Rioja...a terrific expression of
Tempranillo.
PINSON 2010 CHABLIS $2.00/taste
Some people think Chablis is a California wine which comes in a jug
with a finger-hole.
In fact, it's a flinty, dry, crisp, stony white wine from France...Pinson is a
top domaine.
HARRINGTON 2009 PINOT NOIR $3.70/taste
Harrington's new Pinot comes from Mendocino's Anderson Valley...very
fine with a nicely
floral tone on the nose and palate.
TATOMER 2009 Kick-On RIESLING $3.00/taste
Dry California Riesling...this is a young wine with great
potential. We're betting most
bottles will be consumed well before it hits its peak. Tatomer is a young
fellow
who's located in Santa Barbara, but who trained in Austria.
CHESTER'S ANVIL WHITE $3.00/taste
An interesting, mildly oaked blend of Roussanne and Marsanne.
Napa fruit.
ZOCKER 2010 GRUNER VELTLINER $2/taste
Here's a delightful Gruner Veltliner from California's Edna Valley.
It gives good Austrian wines a run for the money.
PIERCE FAMILY 2010 ALBARINO $1.60/taste
The San Antonio Valley is in southern Monterey County. The
Pierce Family grows
a variety of Iberian grapes...their Albarino is stellar.
CLOVERDALE 2009 MERLOT $2/taste
Alexander Valley Merlot with nice red fruits and a bit of American
oak...
TALLEY 2009 Arroyo Grande CHARDONNAY $2.40/taste
We tell people if they don't like this wine, they shouldn't be
drinking Chardonnay.
DOMAINE PONSOT 2009 RULLY BLANC $2.50/taste
This young fellow is making some classic white Burgundy in a
relatively
unheralded appellation (unless you're "in the know")...Rully is just a
few miles
south of Chassagne Montrachet and "well south" in terms of price.
SWEET
WINES OPEN TODAY:
CHATEAU HAUT-MAYNE 2008 SAUTERNES $3.80
You're not alone...nobody knows this fine little domaine...
JM da FONSECA 20 YEAR SETUBAL (Moscatel) $6/1 ounce pour
Hugely famous in Portugal and around Europe, they're a mystery to most
wine consumers in the US. Remarkable wine, though.
SEPPELTSFIELD 10 YEAR PARA "PORT" $4.00/taste
A legendary sweet wine producer in Australia, this is a marvelous dessert
wine
along the lines of a Colheita Port.
SMITH WOODHOUSE 1999 LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORTO $3/taste
Savvy wine buyers know this brand from the Symington Family (Graham's, Warres,
Dow's)
for its killer LBV Port...If you have taste for hundred buck bottles of Vintage
Port and are
on a budget, check out this delicious Porto!
LA MAGENDIA Jurançon $3.60/taste
From master winemaker Jean Bernard Larrieu comes this stellar sweet wine
which is
balanced by laser-sharp acidity.
CARMES DE RIEUSSEC 2005 SAUTERNES $3.50/taste
A second wine from the famous Chateau Rieussec, this is nicely honeyed and
rather affordable...
BARBADILLO 30 YEAR AMONTILLADO SHERRY $5/taste
When we pour a taste of this stellar Sherry, its perfume permeates the entire
shop...nutty
and very fine with an after-taste which lingers for a very long time.
NIEPOORT 1988 COLHEITA PORTO $5/1 ounce Pour
Dirk Niepoort is a leading light in Portugal and he makes some top Colheita
(single vintage tawny) Ports. Here's a nicely aged bottling...old,
but not too old and not too young...
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