Wine Tasting 11/11 & 11/12

Friday, November 11:

Charlie From Bonhomie Wine Imports will be pouring some true terroir wines from very small producers. 

Balter Sauvignon Blanc from Trentino 2008 $17.99

Moissenet-Bonnard Bourgogne Rouge "Les Maison Dieu" Pommard 2009 $21.99

Eric Rocher Saint Joseph (Syrah) $18.99, yes only $18.99 for a Saint Joseph

Saturday, November 12:

Gavin from Wineberry will be pouring an excellent value true Champagne and some high quality, not your run of the mill box wine.

Gardet Brut Tradition $29.99

Chateau Les Maines Bourdeaux Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc) 3 Liters 2010 $42.99

Chateau Moulin de la Roquille Bordeaux Cotes de Francs 3 Liters 2009 $42.99

Domain Le Garrigon Cotes du Thone (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan) 3 Liters 2010 $44.99

Wine tasting 11/4 and 11/5 from 5-8 pm

Hello wine lovers!

This Friday (11/4) is another great lineup of delicious wines of which Clarke from Rosenthal merchants, and Saturday (11/5) Georgia from T. Edward wines are going to pour. Even if Fall is here and Winter is coming, we are still pouring a delicious rose and a light, crisp Txakolina!

Clarke on Friday will be pouring:

Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie 2009 White Corbieres blend.

Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie is a small property, with only eight hectares of vineyards located in the Western Languedoc of the Corbieres region specifically in the rocky foothills of Mont Alaric. The landscape of Corbieres is a geological chaos of mountain and valley reaching from the sea 60km back into the Aude Departement. Only 1 hectare is devoted to white grapes grown on this property. This beautiful white wine is made from a blend of grapes which are Roussanne, Macabeu, Bourboulenc and Clairette. The different grape varieties are pressed and vinified together benefiting from fine lees contact during fermentation which gives the wine extra body and complexity. Its full of lively citrus flavors, depth, and complexity, and a long dry finish.

Mas Jullien Coteaux du Languedoc 2009 Rosé

Mas Jullien is a young estate with a long history deeply rooted in the hillsides of Languedoc. It is composed of 15 hectares of vineyards scattered around the village of Jonquières, north of Montpellier, 40 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The vines grow on the rocky terraces of the plateau of Larzac at the foot of Mont Baudille, culminating at an altitude of 900 metres, at the limit of their cultivation of the vine in the area. This rose is a medium body blend, full of strawberry notes, racy acidity, and great touch of minerality.

Château Saint Jean de Lavaud 2007 Lalande de Pomerol

This tiny estate of 1.1 hectares is appended to its sister property, Vieux Maillet, just across the border in Pomerol. Composed almost exclusively of merlot, the St. Jean de Lavaud has risen to the top rung of this satellite appellation as a result of the careful attention paid to yields and the rigorous work done in the vineyards to showcase the attributes of this intriguing and often unexplored terrain. This 2007 is big and expressive. Complex with blackberries, and cedar it finishes off with big and round tannins that are very long!

For Saturday Georgia will be pouring:

Ameztoi Txakolina 2010.

Now for most you, your probably thinking what the heck is txakolina (pronounced: Cha-co-li.)?? Well it's a variety that is a slightly sparkling, dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Spanish provinces of the Basque Country. The Ameztoi family has been making txakolina in Getaria for seven generations, utilizing the indigenous Hondarribi Zuri and Hondarribi Beltza grapes to craft a light, crisp wine bottled with residual carbon to give it its signature natural spritz.

Chateau Haut Bayard Montagne-Saint-Emilion 2008

Chateau Haut-Bayard is a 8.3 hectare estate in the village of Montagne just north of St Emilion. Michel Darnajou produces about 4,000 cases a year of this single wine that is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines that are an average of 25 years old and planted on the classic soils of gravel and sand over limestone that are famous in Pomerol and parts of St Emilion. Vinification takes place in thermoregulated stainless steel tanks and the wine spend 6-8 months ageing in neutral oak barrels. A light filtration is performed and the wine is fined with egg white before bottling. 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a really great wine, full bodied and bold with cassis and blackberry notes that hit the palate. It will age gracefully with years to come!

Bebame 2010

This is not your average wine coming out of California. The wine is called Bebame, which translates from Spanish to “Drink me”. It is made from 95% Cabernet Franc and 5% Gamay. The wine is made by Steve Edmunds, better known for his terrific Edmunds St. John wines that are devoted mostly to Rhone varieties. Its a big style wine full of in your face flavors! Red Berry, cranberry, cherry notes hit your palate, with crisp acidity and a soft easy finish. A wine to enjoy in any type of weather!

 

Wine Tasting at Montague Wine Tonight (10.8.11) from 5-8pm with Maya from Louis/Dressner Selections

Bugey, Savoie Region of Eastern France, French Alps

Come and join us at Montague Wine & Spirits this evening from 5-8pm for another great weekend tasting.

This evening we will be joined by Maya Pedersen from Louis/Dressner Selections; Maya will be pouring four ridiculously good wines, three from France and one from Liguria in Italy.

We'll try and post as much info as we can squeeze into our new website, Montaguewine.com, please check back for tasting schedules.

The wines...

1.  Alice et Olivier de Moor, A Ligoter 2010... The grape is Aligote, and we are told the name 'A Ligoter' is a play on words meaning approximately, 'Fit to be Tied.'  While Alice is from the Jura, the couple produces wine in Courgis, a small village 7 km southwest of Chablis.  The wine have deep minerality, and beautiful neutral oak flavors.  They are honest and expressive wines.

For more information on Alice and Olivier, please check out the L/D website (http://louisdressner.com/producers/demoor/?as=de+moor).  We love their wines and creative energy, it's always cool to see a couple work together and do something great.

2.  Famille Peillot, Altesse 2010...

Altesse or Roussette is a white grape variety found in the Savoie region of France.  It yields small harvests and ripens late, and has exotic aromas of citrus fruits and herbs, and is considered to age gracefully. 

The origin of Altesse is subject to various claims, including an origin in Cyprus, and the French believe it is of French origin, but an origin on the other side of the Alps seems probable.

Franck Peillot is a winemaker we really love here at the shop, for more information on Franck and his wines, please check out the L/D website (http://louisdressner.com/producers/Peillot/).  This is absolutely Alpine wine, we'll try and post some pictures of the Bugey vineyards nestled in the Alps on the website today.  (Montaguewine.com)

Dolceaqua Vineyards, Western Liguria

3.  Danila Pisano, Rossese di Dolceaqua 'Vigna Savoia' 2008... Last week we got to try a white wine from the Italian Riviera of Liguria.  Tucked under the Piedmont and up against the Mediterranean, these wines are evocative of the sea and the sea-cliffs from which they come.  The grape, Rossese is rich and smooth, almost playful when considered against the reds of the Piedmont.  If there's any left, this would be an awesome Thanksgiving wine because it is a crowd-pleaser that will pair well with a huge variety of food and textures and tastes. 

Check more awesome info on her wines here... http://louisdressner.com/mpdf/Pisano/ 

Jurancon Vineyards, Southwestern France, The Pyrenees in Backdrop

4.  Domaine de Souch, Jurancon Sec 2009... last week we got to try a Jurancon Sec from Domaine Castera, and these wines, while both hailing from the French Pyrenees, are night and day.  de Souch is lovely and big and very aromatic, the wine has an unctuous texture as opposed to crispness, this wine is more oily and round than linear and sharp.  Very singular, and certainly not for everyone, this wine has oxidative qualities reminiscent of the the white wines of the Jura (another funky mountain wine!), but more fruit, think of pears and melon, tropical fruits, with a hint of the smokiness of cheap birthday candles having just been blown out.  We love it, and hope you do too, just bring an open mind!

That's all folks, hope to see you from 5-8pm tonight (Saturday)... and every Friday and Saturday from 5-8.


Please check out Montaguewine.com, we'll try and keep it updated with tastings and new wines and producers we're excited about.

Wine Tastings Fri and Sat, 5-8pm 9.30.11 & 10.1.11

Ligurian coastline and vineyards above Cinque Terre

Yes, sorry to say the summer is gone (even if the humidity isn't!), but come celebrate the changing season with us this weekend with two truly great tastings.  We're happy to welcome Rosenthal Wine Merchant's Clarke Boehling on Friday, and Kevin Russell from The Vine Collective on Saturday.  Tastings are from 5-8 pm.

Friday 9.30.11

On Friday, we'll be pouring three great wines that should not be missed.  It's no secret that we really dig the Rosenthal portfolio and their whole host of producers, so we're always happy when Clarke comes by with bag of wines.  The three wines Clarke will be pouring and discussing will be--

Domaine de Montbourgeau - Cremant du Jura

Well, we won't tell you to completely forget Champagne, but our guess is that you are going to love this Cremant du Jura.  The Jura has a very unique and singular wine tradition amongst other French regions, these are mountain wines that are subtle and nuanced and deserve your attention.  Full of beautiful mineral, interwoven fruit and acidity, Nicole Deriaux has created a beautiful and harmonious balance that delivers some bang for your sparkling buck.  We only get to buy this once a year, so we hope we have enough to keep around til New Year's Eve!

Enoteca Bisson - Vermentino

Enoteca Bisson was born in 1978 when Pierluigi Lugano fell in love with the wines of the Ligurian coastline. He began as a trader in small lots of bulk wine, later became a wine merchant and finally a winemaker in his own right. He now splits his time between his busy wine shop and wine cellar. He works hand in hand with local growers from pruning to harvest then carefully vinifies the different lots of grapes. Pierluigi is a serious student of oenology and is an expert on the local grape varieties. His passion extends to the preservation of local traditions and this is reflected in the distinctive character and personality of his large range of wines from the Cinque Terre region.

This wine from the 'Italian Riviera' is a natural wine pairing with any pesto, the traditional Liguria dish.  Bright acidity and more unctuous than lean and linear, this wine is super pleasing on the palate.  If only we could hitch a ride to those quaint fishing towns of the Riviera, we'd be all set...

Chateau Valcombe - Cotes Ventoux

Hands down, this is a staff favorite at $12.99.  This wine comes from the foothills of the historic and immense Mount Ventoux sitting like a giant between Provence and the Rhone, which cycling fans may have seen in the Tour de France.  While the road up to the top is grueling even for the likes of Eddy Merkkx, Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani, the wine is pleasing and SO easy and pleasureable to drink.  If you like Cote du Rhone (or even if you don't!), try this Cote Ventoux, it's become many a customer's go-to middle of the week house red.  And why not, it tastes harmonious and authentic, reminds us of a wine you might buy in France for a few Euro that far exceeds your expectations, and honors a sense of place.

Saturday 10.1.11 - The Vine Collective

Come and join us on Saturday for a tasting with Kevin from The Vine Collective, another superb line-up, same bat time, same bat channel (5-8pm)... Now, the wines...

Domaine Castera Jurancon Sec 2009

From the foothills of the French Pyrenees (what is with the Tour de France references!?) comes a stunning Jurancon Sec.  This wine is simply delicious, beautiful deep mineral and subtle tropical notes.  The grape is 100% Gros Manseng, and we remind you, don't serve this one too cold, or else you'll miss out on the lovely aromatics and mineral notes. Ask Kevin to see photos of the vineyard, it's mountainous and  stunning, and we think there are sheep, not sure if they get to drink the wine.

Pascal Aufranc Chenas 'Vielles Vignes de 1939' 2009

This is an old vine Chenas from the smallest Cru in the Beaujolais.  After the Jurancon Sec, this will be a lovely transition to a lighter red (though mineral driven by the granite soils and the old vines that delve into them).  It's probably too early to think about Thanksgiving, but this is a crowd-pleasing wine that pairs well with a huge variety of food because it has grip and complexity, but not overpowering body and alcohol.  An easy quaffer, that is simply lovely.  The vines were planted in 1939, so they have dug deep into the soil and bring up all the character and wisdom that is there. 

Chateau du Grand Bos - Graves Rouge 2002

Bordeaux.  When young, it is tannic and harsh and clumsy, a bit like a Great Dane puppy that hasn't quite learned how to use the immensity of its body, but give it time, and those molasses, sumac, toffee and old leather notes start to ring true.  Winter will be here soon enough, and this is a wine to carry you through a big supper, at this price, we think it exceeds the value of many over-priced Grand Cru estates that some folks drink much too young. 

Come and join us, it's free, it's fun, it's Friday!  (...and Saturday!)  

Your Friends,

The Scientists