Tag: Xarel-lo

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Summer-Aid: $235 “Homage to Catalonia” — Taste the Terroir of Northeastern Spain with 12 Bottles (All Included and Delivered)

From breezy Mediterranean shores to Barcelona cafés to the towering peaks of the Pyrenees, the autonomous community of Catalonia is a land of diversity. These places and cultures have inspired poets, artists, and winemakers.

This week’s Wine-Aid package starts in the ancient wine country of the Penedès Plain, then into Priorat, one of the most progressive winemaking regions in all of Spain with its special reddish and black slate soils (called llicorella in Catalan), and finally to the slopes of the multi-peaked Montserrat range. A glassful of any one of these wines brings the region to life at your dinner table.

Included in Homage to Catalonia Wine-Aid Package is four bottles of each:

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 Wine-Aid package.

Alemany i Corrio Principia Mathematica (Penedès 2018) Regular Price: $26

Passionate wife-and-husband winemakers Irene Alemany and Laurent Corrio’s “Principia Mathematica” is crafted from 100% Xarel·lo (shah-REHL-loh), a grape indigenous to the region that most sparkling wine drinkers will recognize as the principal variety that makes up Cava. 55 year old Xarel·lo vines see fermentation in new French oak barrels of 228 and 700 liters. A third of the wine is then aged for nine months in stainless steel on the yeast (sur lie) with the remaining two thirds aged in oak barrels with occasional stirring (battonage). The result is a wine of freshness and depth that fully expresses a Burgundian style of winemaking alongside high coastal Mediterranean terroir.

 

Blai Ferré “Ona” (Priorat 2016) Regular Price $22

Blai Ferré’s 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 produces a scant 500 cases of Ona, bottling the rest of the harvest in other cuvées.

 

Ca N’Estruc Negre (Catalunya 2016) Regular Price $14

Francisco Martí is co-owner of perhaps the finest wine shop in Spain, Vila Viniteca, located in the El Born district of old Barcelona. Yet he has spent much of his life in the vineyards of the Ca n’Estruc estate that lies on the slopes of Montserrat at over 500 feet in elevation. The Vineyards are ideally orientated to optimize sunshine and hold some vines that are close to 80 years old. Ca N’Estruc Negre is a blend of Garnatxa, Samsó (Carinyena), and Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) grown in alluvial soils. Ripe raspberries and cherries underneath a hint of rosemary make this one of the more interesting everyday value wines that you’ll find.

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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$270 “A Dozen Rosés” Wine-Aid Package — Crisp, Cool Climate Rosé + A Rosé Sparkler (All Included and Delivered)

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

Whether you’re social-distancing with friends on the patio, grilling in the backyard, or just relaxing on a cozy chair with a good book and all the windows thrown open to the warm breeze and birdsong, this weather calls for a glass of fresh rosé by your side.

Introducing A Dozen Rosés, a $270 Wine-Aid package that includes twelve bottles of dry, pink wine mainly from the cool climate wine regions of France, plus a world-class sparkling rosé from a top producer in Spain. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a deep discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

These are all fresh, current release wines, not close-outs of last year’s wine that has been languishing in warehouses. With this variety you’ll find everything from delicate wines redolent of flowers and early strawberries to rich and herbal wines big enough to pair with grilled meats and possibly even satisfy the most ardent red wine drinker.

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.

Included in A Dozen Rosés Wine-Aid Package are two bottles each:

Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy “Terre de Maimbray” (Sancerre 2019) Regular Price $32

Based in the tiny hamlet of Maimbray surrounded by chalk hills of the Loire Valley, Pascal Reverdy and his wife Sophie produce wines of place from almost pure “Terres Blanches” soils of fossilized Marne/Kimmeridigian limestone and clay. The Reverdys harvest exclusively by hand, and do not filter any of their wines. “Terre de Maimbray” is 100% Pinot Noir with vibrant, mineral accented strawberry and tangerine scents over sappy redcurrant and citrus fruit flavors.


Domaine Collotte Rosé (Marsannay 2019) Regular Price $24

Philippe Collotte and his daughter Isabelle produce some of Marsannay’s best values. They focus on sustainable viticultural practices and fruit yields well below the appellation’s allowances. All fermentations are done with indigenous yeasts only. This Pinot Noir-based rosé is made from 30 to 60 year-old vines growing on classic Burgundian clay and limestone soils. In the glass it exudes an exuberant floral and red cherry vibe. A richer rosé, the medium-body delivers ripe red fruit, herbs, and a hint of mineral funk.


Pierre-Marie Chermette “Griottes” (Beaujolais 2019) Regular Price $19

Strict traditionalists, Pierre-Marie and Martine Chermette were among the first in Beaujolais to use sustainable agricultural practices, shunning the use of chemicals in the vineyard and encouraging as much life in the soil as possible. The wines are made with minimal intervention: wild yeasts, minimal sulphur additions, and no filtering if possible. Their poundable, Gamay-based rosé is pale in color but deep in flavor. Fruit and flowers on the nose are enhanced by a hint of gravel.


Château de la Bonnelière “Rive Gauche” (Chinon 2019) Regular Price $18

Château de la Bonnelière is a certified organic domaine situated in the heart of Chinon. Marc Plouzeau has been running this small, 37 acre family domaine since 1999, taking over from his father who started renovation and replanting back in the 1970s. All of Marc’s wines are produced with minimal intervention. “Rive Gauche” comes from the gravel and sand-based alluvial soils on the left bank of the Vienne river. High-toned aromatics of raspberry and peach hover above a fresh and juicy glass of this Cabernet Franc rosé.



Domaine La Bérangeraie “Malbec Rosé” (IGP Côtes du Lot 2019) Regular Price $14

The 86 acre Domaine La Bérangeraie began in 1971 when André Berenger came to Cahors from Provence with his wife Sylvie and planted their vineyard on the red clay and iron stone soil near the small village of Grézels in the Lot department in south-western France. 100% Malbec, ripe strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors are complemented by a hint of spice. A core of juicy acidity balances a silky fruit profile and a pinch of residual sugar adds to the body.


Raventós i Blanc “de Nit” (cru Conca del Riu Anoia 2017) Regular Price $30

Biodynamically farmed and rivaling many a grower Champagne in quality terms, “de Nit” is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada with the addition of a small amount of red Monastrell for complexity and to give the wine its pale pink color. Aged for at least 18 months on the lees before release this is a wine of balance, with subtle minerality. Creamy, with aromatics of flowers, orchard fruits, and almonds, we suggest drinking this sparkling wine from a white wine glass to experience everything it has to offer.

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$210 “The Antoni Gaudí” Wine-Aid Package – 12 Bottles Spanish Wine (9 Bottles Red, 3 Bottles White, All Included and Delivered)

“Anything created by human beings is already in the great book of nature.” — Antoni Gaudí

Introducing The Antoni Gaudí, a $215 Wine-Aid package that includes 12 bottles of Spanish wine illustrating the diverse range of wines available from Catalunya on the Mediterranean Sea all the way to “Green Spain” and the Atlantic coast. 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. 

Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect who has become internationally known as one of the top exponents of modernism. His incomparable architectural language defies classification. Of particular note for us lovers of wine is Gaudí’s design for Celler Güell near Barcelona — A wine cellar totally integrated into the rocky landscape wedged between the Mediterranean Sea and the Garraf Massif mountain range, perfectly in tune with its arid location. 

This selection of Spanish wine pays homage to Antoni Gaudí’s pioneering work with organic forms. He took his inspiration from nature, in a way somewhat similar to the winemaker that must craft a wine with the fruit that a growing season provides. 

Included in The Antoni Gaudí” Wine-Aid box is three bottles of each:

1) Coto de Gomariz “Abadía” (Ribeiro 2012) Regular Price $28

One of the vanguard producers in the northwestern Spanish wine production zone of Ribeiro is the Bodega of Coto de Gomariz. Located in the Avia valley near the Atlantic coast, they enjoy a unique microclimate created by the Avia river. “Abadía” is a blend of local red grapes that consists of 50% Sousón complemented with Brancellao, Ferrol, and Mencía from the village of Gomariz where soils are granitic with schist and clay. Though fermented in stainless steel, the wine is aged for one year in 300-liter used oak barrels, mostly of French origin, to tame some of the hairy tannins that Sousón can exhibit. With a few years of age, the wine is presently drinking at its peak. A sip is juicy little forest berries with a long and winding cherry pit finish. On the nose, the berry fruit is sweeter with hints of licorice and cream. 

2) Artuke “Artuke” (Rioja 2018) Regular Price $16

One of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, Artuke is brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists. 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. “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. 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…

3) Bodegas Cesar Príncipe “13 Cantaros Nicolas” (Cigales 2016) Regular Price $16

The red wines of star producer Ignacio Príncipe are emerging as superb wines that rival or exceed Cigales’ well-known neighbors of Ribera del Duero and Toro. The soil of Cigales is unique by virtue of its large pudding stones which litter the vineyards and the region’s winemakers insist that this soil is most ideal for the Tempranillo variety. “13 Cántaros Nicolás” is 100% Tempranillo from 20-year-old vines in and around the Valladolid municipality of Fuensaldaña. The vines are organically cultivated and hand-harvested. It is fleshy with intense aromas of red fruits, plum, jam, and spices. Ripe but balanced, it’s an excellent wine to pair with everything from roast vegetables to burgers.

4) Ca N’Estruc Blanc (Catalunya 2017) Regular Price $14

Francisco Martí is co-owner of perhaps the finest wine shop in Spain, Vila Viniteca, located in the El Born district of old Barcelona. Yet he has spent much of his life in the vineyards of the Ca n’Estruc estate that lies on the slopes of Montserrat at over 500 feet in elevation. The Vineyards are ideally orientated to optimize sunshine and hold some vines that are close to 80 years old. A blend of Xarel•lo, Macabeo, Muscat, Garnatxa Blanca, and Chardonnay, “Ca N’Estruc Blanc” is organically cultivated and manually harvested. Pale yellow with a greenish hue in the glass, a sip is crisp and dry with aromas of ripe peaches and pears and a subtle note of herbs. Drink it with grilled zucchini, shrimp, or just drink it while you’re grilling.

 

Celler Güell

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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.