Weekly Wine Update

Wines we tasted and liked that may not be in stock but are available on special order (stock items are noted) 

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07 Moshin Pinot Noir Molinari - 28.97 - Darker, more earthy, Dijon clones, bright acid. Russian River, Sonoma, CA. - 10% comes to Texas...V.

08 Moshin Pinot Noir Russian River - 36.27 - Small open top ferment, native yeast. Light, bright, juicy, red cherry fruit, raspberry, tangy. V.

07 Moshin Merlot - "Molinari" - Dry black fruit, ripe tannins, great density, clean, focused. Bright, dusty. 28.97 - 1 acre planted. Estate. V.

07 Moshin Petite Syrah Russian River - 40.57 - Old vine, 300 cases produced. Inky, softer tannins, more balance. Layered, open, ripe, tasty. V.

09 Moshin Potion - .375 - 39.57 - Late harvest Muscat Cannelli / SB / Gewurz - 1 yr ferment. Juicy acid actually balances it. Floral. Rich. V.

09 Owen Roe Sharecropper's Cab - 15.27 - Columbia Valley, WA., Earthy, funky. Grip, fine, lengthy. A lot of wine for the $. Plum, spice. Glazer's.

Owen Roe Ex Umbris 08 - 24.57 - Syrah - Real cork. Rich & juicy,  clean, spicy, herby. A hit with me (Sam). 14.1%, but still balanced. Win. Glazer's.

Owen Roe 08 Cab Franc - 41.27 - Rosa Mystica - Yakima. Great acidity. Concentrated plum & cherry. More money, but very good. Cork. 14.2% alc. Glazer's.

Owen Roe 09 Abbot's Table - 22.97 - Zin, Sang, Blaufrankish, Cab, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot. Tasty cool funky grab-bag. Great deal vs. 35.27. Glazer's.

07 Meo Camuzet Bourgogne Rouge - 39.97 - Leather, red apple, cherry, smoke - clean, high end. Laser. Excellent. This is the star - Wine Frog

Auteur 08 Hyde Chard - 51.77 - Rich, deep, warmer, great. Weightier, zippy, clean, lovely. Carneros, CA - Mid-State Wines. Strong buy - Sam.

Auteur 09 Ophelia Pinot Noir - Willamette Valley - 44.57 - Juicy ripe fruit, hard spices, 4 barrerl blend of Shea vineyard - like it. Worthy. Mid-State.

Auteur 08 Sonoma Stage Pinot Noir - 69.27 - Sonoma Coast - Swan/Calera selections. Floral, nice spice, juicy. Native yeast. 10 day soak. 4$$. Mid-State.

Carmel Rd. Riesling 09 - 16.27 - Juicy, citrusy, orange, petrol, honey, Juicy acid, different, really tasty wine for the price point. RNDC.

Freemark Abbey Merlot 07 - 27.97 - Sweet attack, grippy, dusty, fresh - concentrated, nice length, French / American oak. Bordeaux blend.

2010 Tolosa Rosé 

Edna Valley AVA. Girly pink color. Sustainably farmed estate vineyards. Drier, watermelon, strawberry. Some peach and red berry notes as well. From the coastal hills of San Luis Obispo. Clean, nice, juicy acids. Grenache, Syrah, Pinot Noir, per the website. Complex aroma. Tasty. Finishes dry, but has so much fruit that it fools your brain for a bit. Only 279 cases made. Great balance between the deep color and the still light tannins.

Our Price: 16.57


 

2010 Ojai Rosé 

Very pale in color. Syrah / Viognier, orangey peachy color, floral & stony nose. Picked the grapes as if making a white wine - zippy & mineral, has secret dollops of Grenache & Riesling. Dry on the palate, cool juice. Nice at the price, which is about ½ the price of the next wine in the line. Barrel fermented in older French oak, stayed on the lees until mid-February. Briary berry notes, juicy acidity, perfect summer wine. Very elegant & light style, brought in as a replacement for the Elk Cove Rosé of Pinot Noir that preceded it.

Our Price: 18.57

2000 R. Lopez Rosé

Original note - "The weirdest thing I will drink today." Fresh & persistent nose, considering the rest of the notes to follow - Oxidative sherry notes, nutty. Onion skin. Dried fruit. Lengthy finish, velvety. Hazelnut. 4+ for funkiness. A tricky year because of frost, which caused irregular ripening. Ended up managing to get very healthy and mature grapes. Smooth, with lots of complexity on the palate from the barrel aging (for 4 ½ years, like any normal rosé.) 30% Tempranillo, 60% Garnacha, 10% Viura, all from estate vineyards. This will go well with spicy hot foods, cold meats, Spanish sausage.

Our Price: 30.77

2010 Isastegi Sagardo Cider 

Ten cases and counting - a store favorite. So dry. So sour. A favorite in San Sebastian, great with tapas (pintxos). Give it a long pour, a sip at a time, to break up the residual carbonic gas. Spontaneously fermented wild cider. There are crazy musty aromas here from the introduction of Brettanomyces bacteria, so you get a barnyard note along with the ripe apple on the nose. 20 different varieties of apples are harvested and pressed, then fermented in oak barrels (kupelas - old, large, oak cider barrels). Medium-dry, with a tart flavor from the bright acids. Sour malted apples, must, honey on the palate. Like a hard cider with the characteristics of a gueuze limbic. Bottled unfiltered. This is funky stuff, and Matt & I probably buy about 1/3 of what we bring in to the store. That is high praise for juice in this joint.

Our Price: 11.27