Tag: Syrah

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$165 “The Matisse” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles Southern French Red Wine (All Included and Delivered)

“What I dream of is an art of balance.” — Henri Matisse

Introducing The Matisse, a $165 Wine-Aid package that includes six bottles of Red Wine illustrating the rich fruit and herbal fragrant wines from vineyards across southern France’s Languedoc-Rousillon region. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Henri Matisse was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. In 1905 he was residing in the coastal village of Collioure in the Languedoc-Roussillon when he was inspired to fill his canvases with passionate hues and a brash distortion of form. For these stylistic innovations he was branded a fauve (wild beast) and thus fundamentally altered the course of modern art with the founding of Fauvism.

The selections in The Matisse Wine-Aid are not only a nod to the “art of balance” but also to the bold and ecstatic vibes, much like Matisse’s work, that these wines display in the glass. We’re pretty sure that Henri would approve. 

Included in The Matisse Wine-Aid box are two bottles of each:

1) Domaine Saint Sylvestre Rouge (Languedoc 2015) Regular Price $45

Vincent and Sophie Guizard are cultivating less than 20 acres of prime vineyards in Terrasses du Larzac, an appellation known for its unique climate that benefits from both the warm Mediterranean sea and the cool air that blows down from the Larzac plateau on summer nights, creating wines that are fresh, yet delicate. They use no synthetic fertilizers or herbicides in the vineyards. Fermentation is completed using only indigenous wild yeasts. The wine is a blend of 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 10% Mourvedre aged for two years in used French oak barrels from Burgundy before blending and bottling without fining or filtering. It exudes an intoxicating nose of blackberry, garrigue, raw red meat, violets, and a curl of wood smoke. 

2) Le Clos du Serres “Saint-Jean” (Terrasses du Larzac 2017) Regular Price $24

In 2006, Béatrice and Sébastien Fillon purchased 37 acres divided into 15 parcels near the town of Saint Jean de la Blaquière. The diversity of the soil across all of their parcels includes schist, sandstone, pebbles & shingle, and red ruffes (deep deposits of sandstone accumulated some 265 million years ago and exposed by erosion). “Saint-Jean” is a blend of 25% each Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Oeillade (a grape indigenous to the Languedoc and close to extinction). It’s a wine that expresses all the terroir the village has to offer. After maturation for 12 months in concrete vats the result is a wine that is luscious with fruit but balanced, with floral, spice, and red berry aromatics.

3) Domaine Bertrand-Bergé “Origines” (Fitou 2016) Regular Price $23

Fitou Montagneux is a patch of mountainous schist fifteen miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea. Winemakers Jérôme and Sabine Bertrand’s estate is comprised of many old-vine parcels that cover an area of 84 acres dotted around the hilly countryside of Paziols, the air fragrant with the scent of wild juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender of the local garrigue shrubland. The estate is cultivated entirely using organic techniques. Of the wide range of soils that are found in the region, the pudding stones found around Paziols contribute much to the high quality of the wines. “Origines” is a starting point to understanding and enjoying the terroir of Fitou. A blend of 60% Carignan and 40% Grenache aged for 18 months in concrete, “Origines” delivers juicy ripe black fruits accented by clean earth.

The Wine Press — Henri Matisse

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$260 “The Cézanne” Wine-Aid Package – 12 Bottles Southern French Red Wine (All Included and Delivered)

“A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.” — Paul Cézanne

Introducing The Cézanne, a $260 Wine-Aid package that includes 12 bottles of Red Wine illustrating a range of ripe and luscious flavors and aromas from vineyards across Mediterranean France. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations for 20th century art. His paintings formed a bridge between Impressionism and the early 20th century’s new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism. Both Matisse and Picasso claimed that Cezanne “is the father of us all.” 

The Sainte-Victoire mountain near Cézanne’s home in Aix-en-Provence in southern France was one of his favorite subjects and he is known to have painted it well over 60 times. This is the type of landscape you find throughout Mediterranean France and from which our latest selection of wines is inspired. Cézanne painted the mountain from different angles, at different times of the day, and under different weather conditions. Browsing all of his works on this subject and you get a sense of the different elements over a growing season the winemakers represented in this selection must face every vintage. 

Included in The Cézanne Wine-Aid box are four bottles of each:

1) Mas des Caprices “ZE” (Fitou 2016) Regular Price $31

Mireille and Pierre Mann quickly made a name for themselves by producing tasty, genuine wines on the Mediterranean coast. Certified organic in 2009, their guiding philosophy is meticulous work in the vineyard while respecting nature. A blend of 40% Carignan, 35% Grenache, and 25% Mourvèdre from the windswept Leucate cliff. Fruit, both ripe and fresh, provides the foundation for this crowd-pleasing red. Maturation takes place for nine months, mainly in concrete vats, with around 20% aging in old barrels. Exceptionally floral on the nose, a sip seduces the palate with velvety tannins and silky berry salad. Pop a bottle for pizza, shawarma, or (virtual) game night with friends.

2) Le Clos du Serres “Saint-Jean” (Terrasses du Larzac 2017) Regular Price $24

In 2006, Béatrice and Sébastien Fillon purchased 37 acres divided into 15 parcels near the town of Saint Jean de la Blaquière. The diversity of the soil across all of their parcels includes schist, sandstone, pebbles & shingle, and red ruffes (deep deposits of sandstone accumulated some 265 million years ago and exposed by erosion). “Saint-Jean” is a blend of 25% each Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Oeillade (a grape indigenous to the Languedoc and close to extinction). It’s a wine that expresses all the terroir the village has to offer. After maturation for 12 months in concrete vats the result is a wine that is luscious with fruit but balanced, with floral, spice, and red berry aromatics.

3) Domaine Saint Patrice “Vieilles Vignes” (Côtes-du-Rhône 2016) Regular Price $18

From their first vintage, Domaine Saint Patrice became one of the finest producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  “Vieilles Vignes” Côtes-du-Rhône is boisterously fruity in aromatics and flavor with some clean earth and a hint of herbs. A sip is downright poundable, juicy, with a finish that extends far beyond its reasonable price. It has all the elements one looks for in the type. The attractive price is just the cherry on top. It is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah from three plots: Les Champauvins, Le Coudoulet, and Boisfeuillet. In the cellar, maceration and fermentation are done in concrete tanks. Aging takes place over 14 months in concrete vats and large oak foudre with a further 12 months after bottling.

Mont Sainte-Victoire

 

 

 

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$175 “The Salvador Dali” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles Spanish Red Wine (All Included and Delivered)

Spanish Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí believed that “a real connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes of its secrets.”

Introducing The Salvador Dali, a $175 Wine-Aid package that includes six bottles of very real Spanish red wine illustrating the lushness and balance that can be found from the Mediterranean Sea to the lower slopes of the Pyrenees. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Dali’s paean to wine, The Wines of Gala, was first published in 1976 as a follow-up to his cult 1973 cookbook Les Dîners de Gala. The book explores the pleasures of the fermented grape in text as well as sensuous and subversive visual works by the artist. Dali categorizes the wines “according to the sensations they create in our very depths” and this Wine-Aid selection might very well fall under what he would consider “Wines of Joy.”

Included in The Salvador Dali Wine-Aid box is two bottles of each:

1) Mas l’Altet “Avi” (Valencia, 2011) Regular Price $35

The husband-and-wife team of Alfredo Esteve and Nina Coolsaet are the heart and soul behind Bodega Mas l’Altet. The couple’s five acre vineyard is situated in the southern portion of the DO Valencia in a microclimate that benefits both from the cooling effect of high elevation and the warmth of the nearby Mediterranean Sea. “Avi” is a blend of mainly Syrah with a large portion of Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Garnacha and Merlot. Deeply aromatic and bountiful with ripe fruit, the fitness of the vineyards are evident in each rich, concentrated glassful. As you might suspect, with only five acres, yield is miniscule. Only a few hundred cases are produced each vintage. 

2) Domaines Lupier “El Terroir” (Navarra 2014) Regular Price $34

Domaines Lupier have been garnering international accolades from their first vintage in 2008. They produce 100% Garnacha wine from 27 separate plots, with vines ranging from 68 to over 100 years old (the oldest vineyard planted in 1903), at elevations up to 2,500 feet. This is the northern region of Navarra, more specifically, the cool and mountainous sub-zone of Baja Montaña, where wines can show harmony of ripeness and freshness with all the precision of an oceanic climate. “El Terroir” is aromatically complex with layers of floral, cherry, and spice. A sip is superbly balanced and practically begs another in short measure. It puts to mind Château Rayas – another 100% old-vines, Grenache-based wine from the legendary producer in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

3) Artuke “Pies Negros” (Rioja, 2017) Regular Price $24

One of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, Artuke is brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists. With less than 55 total acres of vineyards distributed over 32 different plots these two young men have completely refocused the family winery to cultivate small vineyard plots in and around their village of Ábalos in the high elevation foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. “Pies Negros” is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with a small amount of Graciano from vines as old as 95 years. 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.

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$220 “The L’Ona” Wine-Aid Package – 12 Bottles of Spanish Wine (All Included and Delivered)

We 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.

We’ve been having a little fun tying our Wine-Aid packages to authors but this one is a little more personal. Many of you already know that the majority of Spanish wines we carry are imported by VIN°VI & CO, a Ferndale-based wine importer that has collected a portfolio of distinguished, passionate producers from some of the most exciting wine production regions in Spain. Barcelona native Núria Garrote i Esteve leads the operation but perhaps more importantly, she’s also my wife.

When we are visiting winemakers throughout Spain and France, our young daughter Ona is often with us, exploring the vine rows and smelling our tasting samples. Working closely with a few of her winemakers to select fruit and determine maturing regimens, Núria has assembled a few special collaborative cuvées named after Ona. These are wines available only in the North American market, and each wine has a story to tell.

Included in The L’Ona Wine-Aid Package are 12 bottles of wine, 10 red and 2 white:

Six Bottles RED — Ona (Priorat 2016) Regular Price $22

Priorat is one of the most progressive winemaking regions in all of Spain. Its special reddish and black slate soils (called llicorella in Catalan) are key to the singularity of the region’s wines. Priorat has become known for upscale wines intended for the cellar that reveal an insight into time and place after years of development.This is the landscape in which the young winemaker Blai Ferré, in collaboration with Núria, created the Ona bottling.

Ona is Priorat in the raw, a wine of intensity and balance with little elaboration. It is a classic Mediterranean blend of 40% Garnatxa, 40% Syrah, and 20% Carinyena. Cultivation is organic and the harvest is hand-picked and hand-sorted. Half of the wine is aged in stainless steel vats and the other half in French oak for eight months. We’ve found that it’s a wine that always outperforms its price level and it’s versatile enough to be paired with a simple cheese plate to roast lamb and everything in-between. Blai Ferré likes being self-sufficient and doing everything himself. He produces a scant 500 cases of Ona, bottling the rest of the harvest in other cuvées.

Four Bottles RED — Ona (Penedès 2015) Regular Price: $17
Two Bottles WHITE — Ona (Penedès 2015) Regular Price: $17

Núria’s relationship with the visionary winemaker Raimon Badell of Masia Can Tutusaus began when she sought out his award winning Cava and brought it into the U.S. Almost all Cava production is centered in the Penedès region of Spain, a short distance west of the city of Barcelona. But it’s the mountainous sub-zone of the Massís del Garraf, where soil and microclimate yield fruit with the concentration and balance required for singular, world-class, sparkling wine.

Raimon believes in making contemporary wines that respect Mediterranean culture without becoming mired in convention. Certified biodynamic in Spain, he has the utmost respect for his vines and soil and it shows in every glass.

Ona (Penedès 2015) Red

On one of her many visits with Raimon at his vineyards Núria tasted a unique red wine that was being produced only for consumption by Raimon and his friends. The grape was Marselan – a variety created by crossbreeding Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache. The exuberant red fruit ripeness of Grenache and the elegant structure of Cabernet Sauvignon was fitting for the Ona label.

Ona (Penedès 2015) White

The superior geography of the Massís del Garraf, and the high quality of the Xarel-lo (pronouced shah-REHL-loh) grapes grown at the estate, led Núria and Raimon to bottle a still version of Xarel-lo with all the intense aromatics, yellow fleshy fruit, and freshness that the variety has to offer.

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New Vintage of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Finest Terroir + A Poundable Côtes-du-Rhône

Situated in the heart of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the vineyard Clos Saint Patrice has an unhindered view of the famous Château of the popes which has dominated the village and its vineyards for almost 800 years. But the great view is not the only thing that makes the vineyard special. As far back as 1838, Clos Saint Patrice was identified as one of the best Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards in the directory L’annuaire de Vaucluse.

Modest winemakers Guy Jullian and his son Jérôme purchased the Clos in 2009 and thus became the first owners of a monopole in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In 2014, Samuel Montgermont, winemaker and General Manager at Les Grandes Serres, joined the team. The 2015 vintage was the first produced and it immediately became one of the finest wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

A little over four acres in size, the Clos is located on the appellation’s Villafranchian terrace and enjoys a southerly exposure. The parcel is planted with very old Grenache and Mourvèdre propagated from ancient vines. The soil is made up of rounded silica pebbles above clay and sand colluvial deposits.

It is this marriage of great old vines and unique terroir that gives the wine of Clos Saint Patrice the balance and elegance to stand out as one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s best. Indeed, one of the most respected French wine publications, Le Guide des Vins Bettane & Desseauve may have said it best: “This minuscule parcel which very nearly disappeared has risen from its ashes thanks to the efforts of a dynamic team which, from the very first vintage, managed to equal the most elegant wines of the appellation…This is a highly recommendable estate which is unfortunately likely to produce small volumes in comparison to the demand.”

But of course the wine doesn’t make itself. The team tends the vines by hand and according to the principles of organic agriculture. No chemical products are ever applied. In order to obtain an optimum balance they will allow the fruit to hang until phenologically mature. Harvest begins at the end of September for the Grenache and finishes mid-October with the Mourvèdre. In the cellar, maceration and fermentation are done exclusively in concrete tanks. Aging takes place over 14 months in concrete vats and a further 12 months in the bottle.

While benefiting from a generally consistent climate, recent vintages in Châteauneuf-du-Pape have been quite different. 2015 was generous in all regards: color, structure, ripeness, and even quantity. In 2017, frost, then rain, and then heat, made for a harvest that was early and small, resulting in marked concentration. But it is 2016 that is being heralded as one of the finest vintages in the past few decades, with some winemakers even comparing it to the epic 1990 vintage. Warm conditions throughout 2016, along with reduced yields, has resulted in wines of superb concentration.

Special prices based on purchase of 6-pack (mix-and-match).

 

$144 Domaine Saint Patrice “Clos Saint Patrice” (Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016)

$315 en Magnum

Samuel Montgermont likes to inform people that the Clos Saint Patrice vineyard is the exact same size as Romanée-Conti. The comparison to great red Burgundy doesn’t end there. A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, Clos Saint Patrice has all the finesse and balance you expect from a world-class wine. Notes of dried flowers and fennel-heavy herbes de Provence rise above a rich cherry fruit essence. A sip fills the mouth with luscious, sappy red fruits to move on to a silky mid-palate and everlasting mineral finish. With tension and elegance to spare, Clos Saint Patrice will likely reward a drinker over the next couple of decades, or longer.

 

~$53 Domaine Saint Patrice “Vieilles Vignes” (Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016)

The unique character of Domaine Saint Patrice’s “Vieilles Vignes” Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from the diversity of its terroirs. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah from multiple plots: La Bertaude, Bois-Lauzon, Cabrières d’Orange, Cabrières de Châteauneuf-du Pape, Bois-Dauphin, Le Pied Long, Les Bousquets, Les Terres Blanches, Les Marines, and Les Galimardes. In the cellar, maceration and fermentation are done in concrete tanks. Aging takes place over 14 months in concrete vats, large oak foudre, half-muids, and barrique with a further 12 months after bottling. On the nose are luscious red and black fruits with a hint of kirsch beneath warm terracotta and mint. A sip is simultaneously ripe and pulsing with wiry energy. Drink now or over the course of the next decade, especially with lamb and rosemary.

 

~$16 Domaine Saint Patrice “Vieilles Vignes” (Côtes-du-Rhône 2016)

A wine to stock up on, Domaine Saint Patrice “Vieilles Vignes” Côtes-du-Rhône is boisterously fruity in aromatics and flavor with some clean earth and a hint of herbs. A sip is downright poundable, juicy, with a finish that extends far beyond its reasonable price. It has all the elements one looks for in the type. The attractive price is just the cherry on top. It is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah from three plots: Les Champauvins, Le Coudoulet, and Boisfeuillet. In the cellar, maceration and fermentation are done in concrete tanks. Aging takes place over 14 months in concrete vats and large oak foudre with a further 12 months after bottling.