Jeff has tasted over 100 wines this month (I know rough job) to find the best deals and selections for our awesome club members. We appreciate our members support, especially during these challenging times.
FIRST WHITE: Suavia Monte Soave (IT) $29.99 Straw yellow with brilliant highlights. The nose shows yellow flowers, exotic fruit and white peach together with smoky and peaty notes. A juicy fruit palate accented with mineral, aromatic herbs and almond alongside crisp acidity. The finish is dry and very persistent. The previous 3 vintages of this wine all received 95 points James Suckling plus the bottle is cool.
SECOND WHITE: Bodegas Granbazán etiqueta Verde (SP) $24.99 Looking for something to pair with seafood? Look no further than this delicious Albariño from Rias Biaxas Spain. It has some bright but restrained fruit to it–more peach skin than peach flesh, and more lime blossom than lime. On the palate, there is great minerality and salinity, bringing to mind a sea breeze. It finishes with dry clarity, which could cut through richer dishes, or enhance the brightness of lighter dishes. A great food wine; pair it with fish tacos, crab cakes, or any lighter seafood dish.
FIRST RED: Famiglia Cotarella Merlot Sodale (IT) $22.99 A new world tasting Italian wine made from one of France’s most notorious grapes! It is dark garnet red with purple highlights. The nose starts out with blackberry and tart strawberry backed by a flinty minerality. Black cherry is a constant running through the nose. The palate is filled with tart dark fruits that please the mouth. Tannins run from the front to back of the mouth but are smooth. Dry slate is present on the finish with mouth cleaning acidity that lead to a long finish and leave you looking for the next sip.
SECOND RED: Underground Wine Project Devil’s Playground (WA) $29.99 From the wine makers at Mark Ryan and Sleight of Hand this 90% Cabernet from Quintessence Vineyards on the Red Mountain is remarkable. Showing pure Red Mountain Cabernet character, with loads of ripe red fruits, currants, cocoa nibs, and spicy tobacco, this dense Cabernet is already immediately and undeniably delicious. It has the stuffing and tannin profile to age for at least a decade, but don’t feel bad if you crack a bottle open sooner than later.
THIRD RED: Dry Creek Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel (CA) $29.99 This has seriously fresh and deep aromas of ripe red plums that build into a palate that is packed with rich flavors of dark berries, plums and chocolate. Great depth here. 76% zinfandel, 22% petite sirah and 2% carignan. 93 points James Suckling
PREMIUM CELLAR SELECTION
Long Shadows Chester Kidder (WA) $59.99
Allen Shoup named this wine in honor of his mother, Elizabeth Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He selected Long Shadows’ director of winemaking, Gilles Nicault, to craft this New World blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other classic Bordeaux varieties.
Dark in color with generous aromas of wild blackberries wrapped around a pleasantly earthy core that’s accented by hints of oak spice. On the mid-palate, graphite and black licorice are complemented by a burst of vibrant fruit that lingers across a lengthy finish. A beautifully integrated wine with a broad, polished mouthfeel. 68% Cabernet 26% Syrah 6% Petit Verdot