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COME IN AND TASTE THESE WINES ON SATURDAY, NOV 14, 1-5 PM
Complimentary
MARILYN MERLOT GOES TO FRANCE
A customer recently remarked that he is constantly amazed at the sensory pleasures our wines impart to his palate and nose every Saturday. We were flattered, of course, but thought we should be tickling more than those two senses, so we've added a ringer this coming Saturday in hopes of broadening your sensory experiences. Come taste, see and, more fully than ever before, enjoy!
2006 Domaine du Grand Mouton Muscadet "Louis M�taireau Carte Noir" (Loire Valley, $18.99). Muscadet is one of the world's best wines for washing down oysters, and now that we're solidly in the "R" month season, we thought we'd offer this outstanding wine for your next raw seafood indulgence. Wine Spectator 89 points: "Has nice richness for the vintage, with lemon curd, honeysuckle, white peach and salt notes that linger nicely on the finish."
2006 Mas del P�ri� Malbec (Cahors, $16.99).Most wine lovers are familiar with Malbec from Argentina. However, its ancestral home is in southwestern France, first Bordeaux and then Cahors, where, unlike in Bordeaux, it was extensively replanted after phyloxera decimated vineyards at the end of the nineteenth century and now reigns as the appellation's signature variety. This is one of the best we've run across -Wine Advocate 91 points: "Marie-Rose Ortalo has crafted a sensational value 2006 Cahors Malbec that smells of ripe blackberries and cherries, young saddle leather, cocoa, and cardamom. The anticipation of richness in the aromas is not disappointed on the palate, but the wine's lithe, bright, smoothly polished, and relatively light-weight impression (it's labeled 12.5% alcohol) comes as something of a surprise, and ultimately a delight. A myriad of nuances - black tea, cardamom, tart berry skins, spruce resin, white pepper, and citrus oil - well up and are carried into a long, soothing finish. You won't encounter many reds nowadays with this combination of richness, subtlety, and the sort of elegance that was once encapsulated in the term "claret," and you certainly won't find very many of them at a price like this!"
Next up is a sleeper of a wine from the Rh�ne Valley, 2006 Domaine La Garrigue "Cuv�e Romaine" (C�tes du Rh�ne, $16.99). This wine, 65% Grenache, 25% Mourv�dre with a bit of Syrah, is actually a de-classified Vacqueyras that is better than most Vacqueyras A.C. wines. This is all that a C�tes du Rh�ne should be from one of this producer's largest Vacqueyras holdings, scoring 90-92 points in recent vintages. Oddly, the 2006 vintage, sandwiched between the more heralded 2005 (91 points) and 2007 (92 points) vintages, was not specifically rated, though Parker noted that both the 2006 and 2007 vintages performed well. Our personal enjoyment of this wine confirms it ranks proudly and on a par with its 2005 and 2007 siblings. This is a full-bodied wine, loaded with ripe fruit, richness and a mouthfull of currants, blackberries, kirsch, licorice and garrigue herbs, and as Parker notes, it is an outstanding value.
Do you collect wine more for the art on the labels than for the wine? Think Ch�teau Mouton Rothschild. Well, here's another to add to your collection. 2006 Nova Wines "Marilyn Merlot" (California, $30.99). Come enjoy the label (every vintage has a different picture of Marilyn Monroe, we have three in stock) AND the wine. Do people buy this bottle for the label or for the wine? Well, let's just say that this wine is normally sold in single bottle quantity, not by the case. Come buy a bottle and add to your wine bottle art collection. A great gift idea for Marilyn Monroe admirers.
Donation
Now, for the paid ($5) tasting component, we proudly offer up the 2004 Bridesmaid red wine (California, $46.99). Bridesmaid wines are crafted by winemakers for Kongsgaard, Arietta and Crocker & Starr, who combine their excess barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah to produce a wine brimming with flavors and aromas of dark berry fruits, currant, coffee, chocolate and seamless intergraded oak tannins. (This vintage is not rated professionally, though CellarTracker users rate this a composite 88 points.)
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Before delivery order
SPECIAL WINE -
TIKAL "PATRIOTA"
Ren was recently dining at a new Spanish restaurant in his hometown of Decatur, GA and perusing the extensive wine list, when the owner came over and struck up a conversation, in the course of which he recommended a wine from Argentina with which he was unfamiliar. He bit, and the wine was fantastic. His two dining companions were also impressed with this wine and asked him to get them a couple of cases. Fortunately, he found this wine is distributed in North Carolina, and we have placed an order to stock it and now offer it to you.
2006 Tikal "Patriota" (Mendoza, $18.99). This producer is owned by Ernesto Cate�a of the renowned Argentine wine family. The blend of this wine, rated 92 by Wine Advocate, is fascinating, with the 60% Bonarda adding crispness, lift and edge to the normally soft 40% Malbec. At the same time, it contains the stunning rich fruit for which Mendoza is known -- juicy and ripe, with delicious berry flavors (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry nuances shine through). It also features spice and toast notes and a rich finish. Steve Tanzer adds: "Nicely sappy wine with firm but fine tannins and very good length and lift." This is an excellent no-brainer value proposition - the wine was released at $25, and the restaurant at which I enjoyed this wine charged $65 for it, and I was not shocked until I found out what we could buy the wine for! P.s., this wine has another fabulous label art collecting opportunity for you.
Call or email us if you would to order some of this wonderful wine. Operators are standing by.
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FALL HOURS
We will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m.
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Erick's Cheese and Wine Shop, Grandfather Center, Banner Elk, NC 28604, (828) 898-9424 www.erickscheeseandwine.com
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