SATURDAY WINES 10/6/12

 

 

We hope you're heading our way this weekend, as colors are peaking and the weather (at least through Saturday) is fabulous. We've pulled some wines for the tasting Saturday afternoon that should offer something for everyone, so drop by and see if they meet your style preferences. There are lots of fall festivals going on around the High Country, but none so exciting as our Saturday afternoon wine tasting!                2010 Domaine des Aubuisières "Cuvée de Silex" (Vouvray, $20.99). Bernard Fouquet, a young, bearded, quiet-spoken man, is making some of the most serious Vouvray of the last few vintages. He is now regarded in France and the international press as one of the top three Vouvray producers, and his wines represent sensational value. No one succeeds better than Bernard in capturing the mineral tones unique to Vouvray's soil, with the marvelous balance of explosive fruit and titillating sensation of the Chenin Blanc grape. The best Vouvray we have ever had in the shop, this wine is rated 90 points by Robert Parker in The Wine Advocate: "A superb, essentially dry Vouvray that sells for a song, the 2010 Cuvee Silex exhibits wonderfully flowery, melony aromas in its fragrant aromatics along with medium-bodied, crisp, pure flavors and an attractive flinty character. There is some residual sugar, but good acidity largely masks that component."

 

            2010 Falesco Sangiovese (Umbria, $12.99). Umbria sits right next door to Tuscany and the Chianti zone, so you would expect its rendition of Sangiovese to shine as well, and it does. Sangiovese is the signature red grape of Umbria, and no one makes a better wine from this Umbrian variety than Falesco. From The Wine Advocate (88 points): "The 2010 Sangiovese shows the darker side of the grape in its intense fruit. This is a fairly bold, concentrated Sangiovese, but all of the elements come together nicely in the glass. It is a great value."

 

            2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône "Les Champauvins  (Rhône, $19.99). One of the best-run and highest quality estates of the Southern Rhone is Domaine Grand Veneur, now run by the younger generation of the Jaume family, Sebastien and Christophe. From The Wine Advocate (92 points): "The single-vineyard Cotes du Rhone, the 2010 Les Champauvins, is a smaller cuvee made largely from Grenache (70%) and the rest Syrah and Mourvedre. This is the poor person's Chateauneuf du Pape, with notes of garrigue, lavender, black cherry jam, licorice, and a hint of blacker fruits. Rich, full-bodied, ripe, with sweet tannin and lots of concentration, this is a beauty to drink over the next 8-10 years - it is that rich and concentrated."This is a fabulous wine of Châteauneuf quality at a Côtes du Rhône price - don't miss it!                2008 Shinas Estate "Executioner" (Australia, $34.99) is the paid tasting wine, with the $5 requested donation for the Avery County Humane Society. The Executioner is a blend of Shiraz 55%, Cabernet Sauvignon 43% and Viognier 2%. Due to extremely light grape yields from The Executioner Vineyard, only 6 barrels of Shiraz and 4 barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon were produced. The Executioner is a wine worth dying for, and production is so small it's a crime punishable by death. Tasting notes: "Blackberries, sour cherries and a little bit of blueberry. There's also plenty of spice, along with some cedar and vanilla oak. Mouth feel is lush, dense and surprisingly silky."