Author: Elie Wine

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Saturday Sips + Saturday Sips Review (6-Pack for $200 All-Included): Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, Côtes-du-Rhône from Next-Generation Star Estate

Domaine Pierre Usseglio has risen to such prominence over the past two decades, it must be considered as not only one of the top addresses in Chateauneuf-du-Pape but in all of France.

The name Usseglio is well-regarded in the region. It started back in 1949 when Francis Usseglio, after leaving Italy to work the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, produced his first vintage. His two sons both made winemaking their life’s work, with Pierre taking over, and expanding, the family estate, while Raymond went on to build his own remarkable winemaking operation. Today, Domaine Pierre Usseglio is run by Pierre’s two sons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry. Clearly, wine runs through the family’s veins.

Presently, the estate covers nearly 100 acres, 59 acres are dedicated to Châteauneuf-du-Pape red, 2.5 acres to Châteauneuf-du-Pape white, 14 acres in Lirac, 14 acres in Côtes-du-Rhône, and 5 acres that produce their Vin de France.

Half of the estate’s vines are over 65 years old, with the other half over 40 years old. Yields are very low and the harvest is always manual with highly selective sorting. The result is wines that are both lush and powerful, with loads of red fruit and spices.

2016 is being heralded as one of the finest vintages in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the past few decades, with some winemakers even comparing it to the epic 1990 vintage. Warm conditions throughout 2016, along with reduced yields, have resulted in wines of superb concentration. Don’t miss out on this monumental vintage. Join us this Saturday to see what the fuss is about.

Saturday Sips Review Package (6-Pack for $200 All-Included): Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, and Côtes-du-Rhône from a Next-Generation Star Estate

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 15% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

 

1 BOTTLE Châteauneuf-du-Pape (2016) RED, Regular Price: $62

A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% each Cinsault and Mourvèdre from soils of sand, clay, limestone, and rolled pebbles. This diversity of terroir allows for complex and balanced wines. The vines are between 40 and 75 years old. Maturation takes place in oak barrel, demi-muids, and concrete vats over a period of 12 months. It’s a wine that’s deceptively easy to drink, with intoxicating notes of raspberries and chocolate that transition to a long and smooth finish.

 

2 BOTTLES Lirac (2017) RED, Regular Price: $35

A blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and 10% Cinsault from clay and pebble soils. The vines are around forty years old. The grapes are harvested manually and completely destemmed. The wines are aged in concrete vats and demi-muids over a period of 12 months. The 2017 Lirac is a sturdy, solidly built wine loaded with notes of plum, cola and spice. It’s full-bodied, finishing warm and velvety.

 

3 BOTTLES Côtes-du-Rhône (2016) RED, Regular Price: $30

A blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 20% Cinsault from sandy and stony soils in several sites adjoining Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wine matures for six months in concrete vats and is bottled in the spring after harvest. This 2016 vintage Côtes-du-Rhône overdelivers in every way, drinking much like a baby Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Cherry liqueur and hints of chocolate lead into a dense and creamy finish.

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Return of Saturday Sips + (6-Pack Sampler for $220 All-Included) – Accessible Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits Burgundy: “Bourgogne Régional AOC” from 3 Top Producers

Although Bourgogne Régional AOCs are the first step in classification, and around 50% of the greater region’s production, not all of its wines are created equal. A savvy consumer (with the help of their knowledgeable local wine merchant) can find excellent values by purchasing regional wine from the area’s top producers.

In many cases the vineyards that produce the fruit for these wines lie near (sometimes even in) more prestigious appellations, quite often separated by mere feet. The vineyards tend to be located along the foot of the wine-growing slopes on limestone soils mixed with some clays and marls, depending on the geographical situation.

This Saturday’s tasting and 6-pack sampler is a great introduction into the region that won’t make too much of a dent into the wine budget. And if you’ve already succumbed to the beguiling beauty of Burgundy’s wines, the sampler provides a nice mix to drink now or lay down for a couple of years while you’re waiting for your more prestigious bottles to develop.

(6-Pack Sampler for $220 All-Included) – Accessible Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits Burgundy: “Bourgogne Régional AOC” from 3 Top Producers

This 6-Pack Sampler contains two different bottles from each of these three renowned producers. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair

Cousin to Vicomte Liger-Belair of La Romanée fame, in 2001 Thibault Liger-Belair took over storied family property in Nuits-Saint-Georges, reclaiming vineyards which had been contracted out to various sharecroppers and creating a new domaine under his own name. The properties include some of the most hallowed vineyards in Burgundy: The Grands Crus of Richebourg and Clos de Vougeot, as well as the Premier Cru of Les Saint-Georges that is one of the few vineyards in modern-era Burgundy to be considered for promotion to Grand Cru.

“Les Grands Chaillots” (Bourgogne 2017) RED Regular Price: $45

100% Pinot Noir. An assemblage of different terroirs located in the Côte d’Or. A third comes from the vineyards of an estate in Nuits-Saint-Georges and two-thirds comes from other appellations such as Marsannay, Côtes de Nuits, Beaune, and Ladoix-Serrigny.

 “La Corvée de Villy” (Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2017) RED, Regular Price $50

100% Pinot Noir. Located in the upper reaches of Nuits-Saint-Georges on the Chaux plateau, this 1.75 acre vineyard, planted in 1988, is on very stony soil mainly composed of lava stone.

 

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret

Vincent Mongeard works about 74 acres spread over 35 appellations. While the estate is based in Vosne-Romanée, like Thibault Liger-Belair he produces wines from some of the most cherished parcels in all of Burgundy, including Richebourg, Grands-Échezeaux, Échezeaux, Clos de Vougeot, and Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots. All parcels are worked sustainably (la lutte raisonée) with a focus on soil health. Fruit is harvested exclusively by hand and manually sorted in the winery. Fermentation begins naturally with indigenous yeasts.

(Bourgogne 2018) RED, Regular Price: $35

100% Pinot Noir from a six acre plot of 28-55 year old vines. Soils are Jurassic in origin with broken stones and limestone grit on a deep clay matrix.

“Les Dames Huguetttes” (Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2018) RED, Regular Price: $43

100% Pinot Noir from six acres of calcareous and deep soils on Argovian marls. The average age of vines is 35 years and maturation takes place in one year old barrels.

 

François Carillon 

A most distinguished name in Burgundy, the Carillon estate dates back to 1632. The family still occupies the same site in Puligny-Montrachet, between the church and the old château which belonged to the original nobles of the village. Today François Carillon leads the estate, crafting wines of tradition and finesse. The domaine holds parcels in some of Côte de Beaune’s most famous vineyards: the Grand Cru of Chevalier-Montrachet as well as some of the finest Premier Cru vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.

(Bourgogne 2018) RED, Regular Price: $32

100% Pinot Noir from 60+ year old vines in Puligny-Montrachet and the hamlet of Corpeau. An ambitious regional wine that sees 12 months aging in 10% new oak barrels.

(Bourgogne Aligoté 2018) WHITE, Regular Price: $28

The other white grape of Burgundy, Carillon’s Aligoté is grown below Puligny-Montrachet and in the hamlet of Corpeau. Fleshy and crisp.

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In-store Saturday Sips + (6-Pack Sampler for $240 All-Included): Corsican Wines to Complement Autumn Food from Three of the Island’s Top Producers

What’s not to like about autumn? Cozy fleece jackets, the musky-sweet smell of a leaf pile, rich meals filled with recently harvested vegetables slow-roasted in the oven…L. M. Montgomery expressed the sentiment gracefully in her novel, Anne of Green Gables, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

This Saturday we are featuring a beautiful selection of Corsican wines selected specifically to enhance the autumn table. As France’s most southerly vineyard area, you might expect the wines of Corsica to be ultra ripe and high in alcohol. In fact, the island’s unique characteristics allow talented producers to achieve the type of depth and character found in some of the world’s most famous winemaking regions. While the Mediterranean sun easily ripens fruit to create warmth and richness, the moderating effects of wind and elevation keep the wines fresh and balanced.

We invite you to explore the landscape of the island through three of its top producers and most significant grape varieties. The featured white wine has plenty of heft to pair with most fall fare while the two red wines will have enough freshness so that they won’t become cumbersome as the meal stretches on. It’s almost as if Burgundy met the Mediterranean and had three “love children” and we put them in a box just for you.

6-Pack Sampler ($240 All-Included): Corsican Wines to Complement Autumn Food from Three of the Island’s Top Producers

This 6-Pack Sampler contains two bottles from each of these three renowned producers. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

 

Clos Canarelli (Corse Figari 2016) RED, Regular Price: $49

Possessing abundant freshness, complexity, and aromatic intensity, the wines of Yves Canarelli are some of the most celebrated and sought after from the island. A blend of mostly Niellucciu (closely related to the Italian Sangiovese) with around 15% each of Syrah and Sciacarellu. The fruit is from the granite and red alluvial soils on the southern tip of Corsica in the appellation of Corse Figari. Ripe, red fruits blend with notes of spice and herbal maquis shrubland that grows on the island’s hills. Plum and cherry fruit show in abundance before leading to a hauntingly long and complex finish.

 

Domaine Comte Abbatucci “Cuvée Faustine” (Vin de France 2017) RED, Regular Price: $39

Easily one of the top producers in Corsica, Jean-Charles Abbatucci creates majestic and fiercely unique wines from the granitic western coast of Corsica. He has created a pristine poly-culture ecosystem on his estate south of Ajaccio that includes groves of olive trees on ancient terraces, and large swaths of untouched forests. The blend is predominately Sciaccarellu with a healthy portion of Niellucciu. If you don’t spend all of your time inhaling the gorgeous scents emanating from the glass, you’ll get mouthfuls of generous ripe fruit balanced by a lively spine of lengthy minerality.

 

Domaine Orenga de Gaffory “Cuvée des Gouverneurs” (Patrimonio 2017 ) WHITE, Regular Price: $39

Henri Orenga de Gaffory’s clear passion for vine growing and winemaking allow him to translate Patrimonio’s unique terroirs into wines of balanced structure and aromatic concentration. Practicing organic cultivation, the 138 acre estate is situated in northern Corsica, across a range of terroirs, and is a reference point for the appellation. “Cuvée des Gouverneurs” is 100% Vermentino from limestone, chalk and clay soils and fills a glass with exotic floral notes and mineral undertones. Maturation on the lees in French oak (1/3 new) for six to eight months with regular bâtonnage provides a bold and rich mouthful of fruit.

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Saturday Sips + Saturday Sips Review Package (6-Pack for $310 All-Included): 3 Expressions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Terroir From Exceptional Producer

If you like biodynamic wines, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and lauded producers, you’ll find them all at this Saturday’s tasting,

One of France’s most influential vignerons, Jean-Paul Daumen is the fifth-generation owner and winemaker of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne. Jean-Paul began his tenure at the family-run estate in 1990 and immediately began building a reputation as one of Southern Rhône’s most esteemed producers. The estate is comprised of 50 acres, in a single block, on the heights of “lieu-dit Clavin” at the northern limit of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Time has shaped these north-facing slopes, placing pebbles, gravels, sands, and red clay over safres (a soft sandstone) from the Miocene Epoch, creating a mosaic of various and subtle terroirs. Jean-Paul exploits these varying parcels to create singular, harmonious, and balanced wines. Each of the parcels are field blends with an average age of 60 years, but the estate also has old Grenache vines over 100 years old.

The vines are cultivated using biodynamic principles. Harvests are entirely done by hand into small boxes to preserve the integrity of the fruit, with a first selection in the vineyard and a second selection when the grapes arrive at the winery. Fermentation is completed with indigenous yeasts and sulfites are used sparingly when bottling. Aging takes place in a combination of foudres and old, oak barrels.

All of this meticulous work in the fields and cellar, combined with exceptionally low yields, are what makes Jean-Paul Daumen’s pure and powerful wines some of the most sought after.

Saturday Sips Review: $310 — 3 Expressions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Terroir From an Exceptional Producer  

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 15% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

1 BOTTLE “Les Hauts-Lieux” (Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016) RED, Regular Price: $99

The 1.1 acre “Les Hauts-Lieux” is the highest elevation and the most sheltered terroir on the slopes. Marlstone soils and shallow safres are covered with quartzite pebbles and very suitable for Mourvèdre vines. A blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Counoise with an average age of 70 years shape a wine that is both vigorous and elegant.

1 BOTTLE “Les Trois Sources” (Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016) RED, Regular Price: $77

“Les Trois Sources” is 21 acres located mid slope on a mix of safres, pebbles, and red clays. The blend is a classic mix of Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties including Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Counoise, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Terret Noir, Vaccarèse, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, and Picardan (average age 75 years) producing a wine with the perfect balance of power and finesse

2 BOTTLES “Lieu-Dit Clavin” (Côtes-du-Rhône 2017) RED, Regular Price: $42 

85 year old vines on the heights of “lieu-dit Clavin” grow in sand and red clay covering Miocene safres. This is the early maturity part of the slopes, producing tender and seductive wines. 13.6 acres grow this blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Bourboulenc, Clairette and Grenache Blanc.

2 BOTTLES “Lieu-Dit Clavin” (Côtes-du-Rhône 2019) WHITE, Regular Price: $42

The white grape field blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussane, and Viognier is located on the northern, steeper, and cooler part of the “lieu-dit Clavin” in marlstone and limestone soils. Average age of the vines is 65 years old, helping to create a wine of depth and complexity.

A Rare and Stunning Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine de la Vieille Julienne

“Réservé” (Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016) RED, Special Price: $289

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne “Réservé” is only made in the best vintages and only in miniscule amounts. It is one of the rarest wines of the appellation.

“Mid-August, when the vineyard is deserted, I like walking in the vineyard of “les Trois Sources”, receiving vines expressions, tasting berries. At this time, I must be receptive and I must appreciate all the details. Some years, depending on the context of the vintage, some vines show specific expressions. Exclusively in this case, these more than hundred years old vines of Grenache (90%), Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise get marked and vinified separately, producing the Réservé. — Jean-Paul DAUMEN

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Saturday Sips + Saturday Sips Review Package (8-Pack for $190 All-Included): “Natural Wine” from Four Spanish Producers

This Saturday we travel to Spain to explore both its diverse landscape of red wine and four producers who are translating their local terrain into tasty “natural” wine.

The basic definition of “natural wine” is wine that is made by small-scale, hands-on farms that use strict organic and/or biodynamic cultivation techniques, spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and very little to no sulfites. Most winemakers that aim to produce wines that speak of place will limit sulfites but the fact is that they do serve an important role in the preservation of a wine’s character. The four producers in this week’s Saturday Sips Review package understand the relationship between this important aspect of production and work meticulously to strike a balance between conservation and raw expression.

Of course, (as with all of our selections) we ensure that these “natural” wines receive the proper treatment of cool transport and storage before they get to your table. In general, these wines will have a bit more wildness, or attitude, than a typical red, and will benefit from a slight chill. With this package we invite you to embrace the great range of possibilities that fermented grapes can offer.

Saturday Sips Review: $190 — 8 Bottles of “Natural Wine” from Four Spanish Producers

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

 

“Pésico” (Asturias 2013) Red, Regular Price: $28

Nicolás Marcos clearly likes a challenge. He left his family’s winery in Toro, did a stint with the distinguished Alain Graillot in Crozes-Hermitage, and then settled into the northwestern region of Asturias, specifically Cangas del Narcea. Pésico is a blend of equal parts Carrasquín, Mencía, Verdejo Tinto, and Albarín Tinto, all grape varieties indigenous to the region. Nico vinifies the juice from about 18 acres spread over parcels from four different crus. Each parcel is fermented separately with indigenous yeast before blending and partial aging in French oak barrels (including second year barrels from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti). This is truly a wine that speaks of the land, ripe yet fresh, bursting with blue fruits and layers of texture before a lengthy finish.

 

“Silice” (Galicia 2016) Red, Regular Price: $29

Sílice Viticultores is a project started in 2013 by brothers Carlos and Juan Rodríguez with star winemaker Fredi Torres, a native of Galicia who cut his teeth in Priorat working with Clos Mogador. The partners cultivate using organic and biodynamic methods with the goal of expressing the terroir of Amandi — one of the five subzones of Ribeira Sacra. 2016 Sílice is a Mencía-based blend with 20% of other grapes including Albarello, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, all planted on sand, granite, and slate. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, the wine is then matured in a 17-year-old, 4,000-liter oak foudre purchased in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The result is a wine with aromas of sweet cherry, wanton flowers, smoked tea, and loamy earth. Ripe fruit is in ideal balance with bright and juicy wild forest berries.

 

“Latitud 40” (La Tierra de Castilla 2015) Red, Regular Price: $23

Uva de Vida’s wife-and-husband team of Carmen López and Luis Ruiz have harnessed the soul of the land to produce wines of purity, brilliance and energy. Biodiversity of plant and animal life is promoted in their 33 acres of vines planted at 1,600 feet of altitude in the clay-based soils near the tiny village of Santa Olalla just up the road from the city of Toledo. Uva de Vida employs minimal intervention techniques from start to finish. 100% Graciano and nearly opaque deep red, a glass of “Latitud 40” radiates aromas of cherry fruit leather, dark chocolate, herbs, and salty, sun-baked earth. These heady scents merge seamlessly into a mid-weight sip of blackcurrant fruit with a long and juicy finish.

 

“Cielos & Besos” (Arribes 2016) Red, Regular Price: $20

Almaroja winemaker and Englishwoman Charlotte Allen holds 15 acres in western Spain on the border with Portugal. “Cielos y Besos” is mostly organically-farmed old vine Juan García, a variety native to the Arribes del Duero and the most widely planted red grape in the area. The wines of this variety are characterized by wild berry fruit, fine tannins and good acidity. The remainder is an eclectic mix of tempranillo, rufete, bastardillo chico, bastardillo serrano, and garnacha (to name but a few) with a few kilos of white grapes thrown in for good measure. Filled with fresh, ripe berry fruit alongside a deep, earthy vibe, this wine is not only a great value, it is versatile. Pair it with pizza, red meat, and everything in-between.

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Return of Saturday Sips + Saturday Sips Review Package: The Land of Syrah, Four Types from the Northern Rhône

Saturday Sips is back! We are applying in-store tasting protocols to ensure everyone stays safe and will limit the number of people tasting at any given time and adhere to proper social-distancing using assigned tasting spots marked on the floor. Our tasting glasses will be one time use for the day but feel free to bring your own glass if you wish. We hope to see you soon.

This Saturday we travel to the Northern Rhône and sample the bold yet elegant Syrah-based wines the region is most known for. The narrow, terraced vineyards on the steep banks of the Rhône River are some of the oldest in France. Many are so steep that pulley systems must be used for cultivation. The majority of wine made there is from the Syrah grape, and the region’s most celebrated wines are the intense, long-lived reds from Hermitage and Côte Rôtie.

While Northern Rhône produces some of the world’s most sought after (and expensive) wines, there is still great value to be found from excellent producers in the less famous appellations. Our Saturday Sips Review Package features a nice variety that won’t break the bank.

Saturday Sips Review: $272 — 8 Bottles from Northern Rhône

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Domaine des Lises

 

Maxime Graillot, son of winemaker Alain Graillot, established Domaine des Lises in 2004. Like his father, Maxime acquired a passion for exploring the Syrah grape’s greatest potential. The estate is based in the Beaumont-Monteux commune of Crozes-Hermitage just a few kilometers south of Tain l’Hermitage.

2 Bottles Domaine des Lises (Crozes-Hermitage 2017) Regular Price: $48

Maxime practices organic viticulture to farm the lieu dit of “Les Picheres” planted with 35+ year old vines. The vineyard consists of gravel soils that are low in clay, allowing for fast draining. 100% Syrah, the fruit is 80% de-stemmed and once fermented the wine is aged in older Burgundy barrels from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Aromatics of ripe black fruits are followed by notes of black olive and resin. A sip is complex and spicy, perfect to pair with bold dishes like smoked meats.

 

Domaine Eric & Joel Durand

 

This up-and-coming small estate consists of 54 acres of vines across the appellations of Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray, and Cornas, and is run by brothers Eric and Joel Durand. Methods are sustainable, yields are moderate, and the approach is geared towards producing wines of elegance, subtle power, and great purity.

2 BOTTLES “Prémices” (Cornas 2016) Regular Price: $40

100% Syrah, “Prémices” comes from a selection of granite soil plots in areas that produce soft yet refined wines. Vines are 13 to 15 years old and yields are low. The grapes are harvested at peak balance and de-stemmed before fermentation. Maturation lasts for 12 months in used casks to produce a wine both generous and fresh, with fine yet prominent tannins.

 

2 BOTTLES “Les Coteaux” (Saint-Joseph 2017) Regular Price: $36

100% Syrah, “Les Coteaux” is produced from vines 20 to 30 years old in granite soils in the south of the Saint-Joseph appellation . The vines are planted on steep hills facing south-southwest. Yields are low and the grapes are harvested at peak balance and de-stemmed before fermentation. Maturation lasts for 12 months in used casks. A beautiful, ripe nose of red fruit precedes a full fleshy wine with nice concentration and rounded tannins.

 

2 BOTTLES “Syrah” (IGP Ardèche 2018) Regular Price: $19

The Durand’s easy-drinking 100% Ardèche Syrah comes from plots situated near Saint-Joseph and Cornas. The fruit is hand-harvested and 100% destemmed before vinification in stainless-steel tank. After a further nine months aging in stainless-steel tank the result is a wine with aromas of red fruits and spices that is light and smooth on the palate with subtle tannins and a fresh finish.

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Return of Saturday Sips + Saturday Sips Review Package: Lake Garda’s Version of Amarone & Valpolicella – The Wines of Comincioli

Saturday Sips is back! We are applying in-store tasting protocols to ensure everyone stays safe and will limit the number of people tasting at any given time and adhere to proper social-distancing using assigned tasting spots marked on the floor. Our tasting glasses will be one time use for the day but feel free to bring your own glass if you wish. We hope to see you soon.

Along with his wife Elisabetta and sons Roberto and Andrea, 13th generation farmer Gianfranco Comincioli presides over 34 acres of vineyard and 64 acres of olive groves. The farm lies in Puegnago, in the Valtènesi sub-zone, the most venerated of the district. Valtènesi is distinguished by superior exposure to the sun and moderating breezes from the lake. For context, Comincioli’s vineyards are almost directly across the lake from Valpolicella, where Italy’s famous Amarone is produced. Indeed, many of the same techniques for producing Valpolicella and Amarone wines are used at Comincioli.

While Comincioli wines are world-class, it is for the amazing (if somewhat controversial) olive oils for which Comincioli is most well-known. Yet the wines are made with the same painstaking care as the oil — soaked in a philosophy based on an unwavering respect for traditions and the environment. Gianfranco and family are dedicated to not only preserving their region’s indigenous grape varieties but to use them to produce wines of the utmost quality.

Harvesting the fruit takes place exclusively by hand, using small crates to avoid stress and prevent squashing of the grapes. Hand-sorting is done to remove any inferior fruit. There are four harvests in a single vintage. The first harvest, from the oldest vines, is directed at grapes destined for raisining (drying the grapes before vinification to concentrate the fruit’s sugars and flavors). Subsequent harvests are done on the basis of ripeness, the age of the vines, and the altitude of the vineyard. Work in the cellar is just as meticulous, with concerted effort to avoid any unwanted oxidative effects. The result is a group of unique wines that express both sense of place and purity.

Saturday Sips Review: $199 — 6 Bottles from Azienda Agricola Comincioli (All Included and Delivered)

 

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Included in Saturday Sips Review are the following bottles:

1 BOTTLE “Suler” (Riviera del Garda Classico DOC Rosso Superiore 2015) Regular Price: $74

Valpolicella is on the other side of Lake Garda from Comincioli and is world famous for the production of Amarone in the “appassimento” style of drying the grapes before vinification to concentrate the fruit’s sugars and flavors. This regional style is uniquely conveyed in the cuvée “Suler.” A mix of the smallest bunches and “straggly clusters” of Sangiovese, Marzemino, Groppello, and Barbera grapes from Comincioli’s oldest vineyards (40 to 90 year old vines) are placed in shallow, ventilated crates for a period of 20-30 days. After aging for 24 months in stainless steel tanks, 30 months in oak casks, and then another 18 months minimum in bottle, “Suler” delivers with the weight and concentration of big, ripe fruit that Amarone lovers cherish with the aromatics and flavors exclusive of Valtènesi.

 

3 BOTTLES “Riviera” (Riviera del Garda Classico DOC Rosso 2015) Regular Price: $26

Cuvée “Riviera” is based on a little over half the native Groppello variety with the remainder a blend of Sangiovese, Marzemino, and Barbera. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks and oak casks. Full of juicy red and black berries with intoxicating floral and spice aromatics, it’s reminiscent of the Valpolicella Ripasso from the other side of Lake Garda but with a vibe all its own. It’s ideal balance will pair beautifully with most classic Italian pasta dishes.

 

2 BOTTLES “Diamante” ROSÉ (2019) Regular Price: $29

A rosé with a little more sap than the typical light and airy numbers made only for summer drinking. The cuvée “Diamante” is mainly produced from the native Valtènesi grape Groppello with the remainder a blend of Barbera, Sangiovese, and Marzemino. A brief contact on these “black grape” skins results in a wine of ideal balance with aromatics of rose, alpine strawberry, and pomegranate. Vinification and aging in stainless steel tanks keeps the wine crisp and refreshing without being simple. This is a wine to pair with everything from spicy seafood dishes to roast lamb.

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Return of Saturday-Sips + Saturday Sips Review Package: Northern Rhône Bounty from Stéphane Ogier

At long last, we invite you to join us for the return of Saturday Sips! Of course we will be applying in-store tasting protocols to ensure everyone stays safe. We will limit the number of people tasting at any given time and adhere to proper social-distancing using assigned tasting spots marked on the floor. Our tasting glasses will be one time use for the day but feel free to bring your own glass if you wish. We hope to see you soon.

What better producer to launch the return of Saturday Sips than with one of the superstars of Northern Rhône, Stéphane Ogier. A seventh generation winemaker, Stéphane knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps from a very early age. After studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune, he did practical training with some of the best winemakers in Burgundy and South Africa. In 1997 he took over the family estate.

Stéphane was greatly influenced by Burgundy during his studies there. He gained an understanding about elegance and finesse, and today his wines are among the most delicate and subtle of Côte-Rôtie. The domaine produces wines from 27 acres of vineyards in some of the most famous Côte-Rôtie areas, such as Lancement, Côte-Rozier, and La Viallière. These wines have become a reference point for the appellation and have brought Stéphane international acclaim. Indeed, he is considered among the elite among Northern Rhône producers, with the quality of his wines often being compared to Chave in Hermitage.

As with all the great winemakers, Stéphane believes vineyard management is essential for the production of world-class wines that speak of place. Each parcel is vinified and matured separately. Once the grapes are harvested, they are brought to the temperature-controlled cellars in Ampuis where fermentation is completed in stainless steel tanks to preserve the natural acidity of the grapes and extract the primary aromas of the fruit. Typical maturation is 18 months in barrel. The results are wines of harmony, complexity, and longevity.

 

$89 “La Combe de Malleval” (Condrieu 2018)

100% Viognier produced from 25-year-old vines in the granite plots of Veauvignière in Malleval and La Combe in St-Pierre-de-Boeuf. The wine is fermented in large barrels (350 Liter and foudre) with native yeasts and then aged 10 months on fine lees. It is highly concentrated with yields exceptionally low due to frost in the spring and a very dry summer.

 

$80 “Mon Village” (Côte-Rôtie 2016)

“Mon Village” was first produced in the 2010 vintage. This Syrah-based wine is a blend of different plots from Côte Blonde & Côte Brune with soils of granite & mica-schist. Most of the grapes are destemmed. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks and aged in oak barrels (20% new) for 18 months. The average production is 175 cases per vintage.

 

$153 “Réserve” (Côte-Rôtie 2015)

“Réserve” is a recent cuvée first produced with the 2012 vintage. The wine is made from a blend of mostly Syrah and a touch of Viognier. The 40-year-old vines are well placed in a myriad of 11 different lieux-dits that works out to 65% Brune (microschist) and 35% Blonde (granite & gneiss). Produced with 30% whole bunch fruit using cold maceration in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, the wine is then aged 20 months in French oak barrels (20% new).

 

$531 “La Belle Hélène” (Côte-Rôtie 2015) 750ml
$1,170 “La Belle Hélène” (Côte-Rôtie 2015) 1.5 Liter

“La Belle Hélène” made its debut with the 1995 vintage. It is produced from 100% Syrah that comes from a tiny plot of 60-year-old vines planted in “Côte Rozier, not far from the parcels used by Guigal for their famous La Landonne. The grapes are 50% whole cluster pressed and the wine is aged in French oak barrels (around 50% new, depending on the vintage). On average, only about 150 to 200 cases are produced each year and the wine has the potential to develop for three decades.

Saturday Sips Review: $205 — 6 Bottles from Stéphane Ogier (All Included and Delivered)

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Included in Saturday Sips Review are two bottles each:

 

“Syrah La Rosine” (IGP Collines Rhodaniennes 2016) RED, Regular Price: $35 

The vineyards of Collines Rhodaniennes are on the plateau above the Cru-classified vineyards yet can offer a glimpse into the greatness of Northern Rhône Syrah at a more reasonable price. “La Rosine” is 100% Syrah from the slopes of Tupin-Semons. The fruit comes from vines aged 20 to 30 years and growing in granite soils. It is produced with natural fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks before 12 months of maturation in 228 Liter French oak barrels (no new). The wine is supple with a nice minerality and lovely raspberry and strawberry fruit vibes.

 

“Le Temps est Venu” (Côtes du Rhône 2017) RED, Regular Price: $22

60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 5% Mourvèdre from vines aged 30 to 50 years growing in the clay and limestone soils of Plan de Dieu & Visan. The wine is produced using whole bunch fermentation in temperature regulated concrete tanks with native yeasts and then aged 10 months in concrete tanks. Rich fruit and good structure makes for a lovely drink to sip during these cool autumn nights.

 

“Viognier de Rosine” (IGP Collines Rhodaniennes) WHITE, Regular Price: $40 

100% Viognier from the slopes of Tupin-Semons, neighboring Côte-Rôtie vineyards. The fruit comes from vines aged 20 years and growing in granite soils. The wine is produced through direct pressing before fermentation in barrels and foudres with native yeasts. The result is a “mini Condrieu” with bright tangerine, apricot, and white flower notes. Its medium-body and lively texture will keep you coming back for another sip.

We are committed to providing you with your wine needs in the safest way possible. We do encourage you to take advantage of our back door pick-up or free delivery. We can easily process the payment of your purchase over the phone and load you up without you needing to get out of the car. Or we can deliver it to your doorstep for free (within a reasonable distance of our shop) and leave it there for you to bring in at your convenience.

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Champagne Society October 2020 Selection

Champagne Lancelot Pienne “Instant Présent” Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
Price for The Champagne Society members: $59

“Gilles Lancelot produces lean, light, bright and crisp, spring-like Champagnes of remarkable purity and freshness. The style…is perfectly dry, pure, very refined, straight and mineral. These are elegant, and rather lean and filigreed rather than big, mouth-filling Champagnes.”

— Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate

Based in Cramant, Gilles Lancelot comes from a long line of growers. He farms 22 acres of vines spread over 55 parcels along the northern sector of the Côte des Blancs, the Côteaux Sud d’Epernay, and into the Marne Valley. The average age of his vines are 40 years old with the oldest over 60 years.

Gilles farms his vines sustainably, with careful monitoring of his multiple parcels. Fermentation is done only in steel or glass-lined concrete vats in order to have the clearest expression of the wines and dosage is minimal.

A member of Les Artisans du Champagne — one of the more elite of the bands of growers in Champagne — Gilles’ annual production averages less than 6,000 cases, allowing him exacting control to produce the best possible Champagne. The proof is in a bottle of “Instant Présent.” 100% Chardonnay from vines averaging 40 years of age growing along the Côte des Blancs as well as from Monthelon and Mancy, two villages south of Epernay in the Côteaux Sud d’Epernay. The wine is aged on its lees for 30 months before disgorgement and has a dosage 7 grams. It is ideal as an apéritif: fresh, lifted, chalky, and full of white and yellow orchard fruits.

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Wine-Aid: $255 “Three Shades of Tempranillo” — 12 Bottles from Rioja’s Rising Star, Artuke Bodegas y Viñedos (All Included and Delivered)

Easily one of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, we never tire of the wines from brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists that produce wine for Artuke Bodegas y Viñedos. Each new vintage illustrates just how much growth and improvement can be accomplished when your singular focus is creating wines of freshness and purity that speak of place.

Modern Rioja’s storied history began in the mid-1800s when local winemakers adopted the methods of Bordeaux and began aging their wines in wooden casks. Since then, the region has tended to spotlight the amount of time the wine spent in oak barrels, effectively putting a supporting actor in the leading role. But in June of 2017, The Consejo Regulador in Rioja announced the introduction of a “Singular Vineyard” designation to be known as Viñedos Singulares. Now the quality of Rioja wine can be linked to a specific terroir.

In practice, these “Singular Vineyards” are nothing new for Arturo and Kike. These two young men have completely refocused their winery to cultivate small vineyard plots in and around the village of Abalos in the high elevation foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. Yet they currently have no plans to adopt the new labeling to their own wines, believing that the laws were thrown together too hastily, without enough study of the soils and history of the land.

With less than 55 total acres of vineyards distributed over 32 different plots, Artuke is a family affair. Their father still helps with vineyard maintenance, and their mother will always have a plate of food at the ready for hungry family members and visitors alike. Their wines clearly reveal the characteristics of the Alavesa sub-zone, the northernmost and smallest of the three Rioja sub-zones, where the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean meets the warmer interior. This unique climate has the effect of ripening Tempranillo grapes with slightly thinner skins, yielding wines with superb fruit and balance.

The price for this Wine-Aid package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Included in “Three Shades of Tempranillo”:

2 Bottles “Finca de los Locos” (Rioja, 2015) Regular Price: $36

Arturo and Kike’s grandfather was regarded as crazy (loco) for purchasing this single vineyard located on a high terrace around 1,600 feet in elevation overlooking the Ebro river in Baños de Ebro. The plot consists of nearly 40-year-old vines growing in a sandy, gritty soil over a chalky limestone subsoil. A blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Graciano that is aged for 13 months in both 500 and 3500 liter French oak barrels, this wine shows it’s Atlantic climate mainly on the palate as ripe red fruit immediately turns crunchy to lead into a lengthy mineral finish. Aromatically complex, a noseful is rewarded with plums, minty herbs, dark chocolate, baked earth, and cherry blossoms. You could do worse things than pairing “Finca de los Locos” with some fatty red lamb chops.

 

4 Bottles “Pies Negros” (Rioja, 2018) Regular Price: $25

A blend of mostly Tempranillo with a small amount of Graciano from vines as old as 95 years, from vineyards in the village of Ábalos. Pies Negros means Black Feet, a reference to the archaic method of crushing the grapes using one’s feet. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, most of the wine matured in 500-liter oak barrels for one year, with about one-quarter kept in concrete. The wine is especially pretty on the nose with a heady floral scent wrapped around candied fruit and cinnamon. A medium-bodied sip is generous and swells through the midpalate to finish with a touch of earth. A fantastic value that would pair beautifully with anything you’re grilling this autumn.

 

6 Bottles “Artuke” (Rioja, 2018) Regular Price: $16

“Artuke” is made with the carbonic maceration method, a wine-making technique used to enhance aromatics and produce luscious, fresh, fruity wines preferred by Basques in the northern sub-zone of Alavesa. It is a blend of mainly Tempranillo grapes with about 5% of the white grape, Viura, from vineyards in the village of Baños de Ebro. The wine is fermented and aged in concrete for close to six months before bottling. It smells like a four-berry pie. This mouth-watering red wine takes a relatively deep chill which makes it a versatile pairing with all types of food: tuna, pretty much anything made with zucchini, fried chicken, gooey cheese sandwiches, pizza, etc…

 

We are committed to providing you with your wine needs in the safest way possible. We do encourage you to take advantage of our back door pick-up or free delivery. We can easily process the payment of your purchase over the phone and load you up without you needing to get out of the car. Or we can deliver it to your doorstep for free (within a reasonable distance of our shop) and leave it there for you to bring in at your convenience.