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Local Red Blends Redux
Brick Angel, Window Pane and Jules Melange
They're here and drinking better than ever.
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Greetings!
California red blends continue to sell faster than any other category for Back Room Wines. Quality, value, uniqueness of the blend, an eye-catching label, a good story to tell...all these factors help explain why they sell so well and why we all like to drink them. From a business point of view, if I had to specialize in one wine-category, it would have to be California Red Blends. I won't have to make such a choice, thank goodness, but if I did...
Today we re-visit three wines I've featured in months past. BRICK ANGEL "Littlefoot" and JULES MELANGE Rouge are Napa Valley wines through & through. WINDOW PANE Red is almost all Napa Valley with a little Lake County Petite Sirah in there. As each month passes, these wines taste better and better. With summer quickly approaching, all three are perfect wines to take outside for BBQs, picnics and outdoor concerts.
My notes on each are below, followed by a mixed case and half case recommendation. Try 'em all!
WINE BAR UPDATESMontbriac Cheese Plate and
Qupe Chard 375 ML, just $20  |
I could use your help in consuming all the beautiful Montbriac cheese I received last week. My cheese supplier had it on sale. What was I to do? I love the soft texture, light blue flavor and edible, ash rind. But there's too much for one cheese-lover to consume, so while it's still tasting perfect, I'm running a Wine Bar special through this Sunday, May 23:
MONTBRIAC CHEESE PLATE and a half bottle of QUPE CHARDONNAY "Bien Nacido Vineyard" 07 All for just $20.
The Wine Bar is open 7 days a week, same hours as the Wine Shop.
Here's the Wine Bar Menu.
TASTING EVENTS
It's definitely worthy coming by both Thursday AND Friday nights this week.
This Thursday, May 20: Five Southern Rhone Villages. Drink dynamite Southern Rhone reds from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Lirac and Cairanne. $15/tasting. Details here.
By the way, this Thursday is Night One for Downtown Napa's Chef's Market.
Don't be discouraged: there's plenty of parking if you don't mind a little walk.
This Friday, May 21. Under Twelve Buck A Bottle Tasting. Enjoy 7 wines, all for sale tonight for less than $12. We'll pour reds and whites from California, France and Spain. $10/tasting, and
WE'LL PICK UP YOUR TASTING FEE with three bottle purchase. Details here.
Music, Dance, Food & Wine Lovers' Alert!
Napa Valley Festival Del Sole returns for Year Five in July. Read about it below.
As a Back Room Wine customer, take advantage of special discounts for concerts, dinners and special programs.
Ba-Ba-Loo.
Dan
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Money Wines
May 18, 2010
Money Wine: a wine that anyone who loves good, rich, utterly delicious wine will enjoy A LOT, and is an EXCEPTIONAL VALUE.
This week is California Red Blend Redux.
BRICK ANGEL  "Littlefoot"
Napa Valley 2007 $28/bottle
"Littlefoot" is a blend of 60% Syrah, 24% Petite Sirah, 15% Zinfandel and 1%
Viognier. It famously lapped the field in our Red Blend Blind Wine Competition in March and now, over two months later, it tastes even better. Smell cherry liqueur, toasty French oak, black pepper, allspice
& chocolate. Pour, swirl for a minute, and taste black, sweet berries and
cherries, mocha, violets, black pepper & pipe tobacco. 2007 is an exceptional vintage for Napa Valley reds. As good as "Littlefoot" is each vintage, the 2007 stands out from the rest. Check it out for yourself, if you haven't already. Buy Brick Angel "Littlefoot" here.
JULES MELANGE Vin Rouge 
Napa Valley 2007 $26
JULES is Julianna Corley, vineyard manager. Her husband, Chris Corley, makes Jules wines (although not a lot - 156 cases of Jules Melange Rouge made).
The blend: 48% Cabernet Franc, 33%
Merlot and 19% Syrah. Pours from the glass dark & brilliant. Nose
is violets, blueberry essence, black peppercorns and vanilla bean. With
a little air you'll pick up more black cherries &
currants, smoke, licorice and depth of flavor. We like the combo of strong flavors,
long delicious finish and silky texture of Jules Melange.
Buy Jules Melange Vin Rouge here.
WINDOW PANE Red Wine
Napa Valley & Lake County 2008 $34 Net
Made and owned by Kobalt Winery, Window Pane is a blend of 41% Petite Sirah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec and 11% Petit Verdot. All the fruit comes from Napa Valley except for half the Petite Sirah. I've had a memorable trip with Window Pane so far. First tasted in late 2009 from barrel and it was stunningly good, like wine-candy (but dry, of course). It was released just 3 weeks after bottling, and I, like the winery, was excited to have customers try it. First response was "yes, it's good, but it's pretty tight." Agreed, it needed, and still needs, time. Each passing week brings it a little bit closer to its barrel-tasting flavor, and now, mid-May, it's blossoming. Mulberries, blackberries, cinnamon and nutmeg, black pepper
and licorice, all brought into focus by sexy, medium toast French oak. There is no doubt in my mind that demand will rise for this wine after it's sold out. As you taste it through the summer and fall, you'll want more. I have about 12 cases left and that's it.
Buy Window Pane Red here.
Red Blend Mixed Case - 4 bottles of each wine above
$329 (includes 10% discount on Littlefoot and Jules)
Red Blend Half Case - 2 bottles of each
$169 (5% discount)
3 ways to order:
1. Order On-Line Here
2. Reply to this email with your order,
3. Call us, toll-free, at 877-322-2576
Thank you!
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Our Five Favorite Southern Rhone Villages
This Thursday, May 20,
5 to 8 P.M.
Chateauneuf
Gigondas
Vacqueyras
Lirac and Cairanne
All 2007 vintage,
and all great producers.
$15/tasting
Click here for more information
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Under Twelve Buck A Bottle Tasting
This Friday,
May 21,
5 to 8 P.M.
Seven wines, all on sale for under $12/bottle.
California, France and Spain poured in the tasting.
$10/tasting...buy three Under $12 bottles and your tasting is free!
Here's the Under $12 Wine Line-Up
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NAPA VALLEY FESTIVAL DEL SOLE
July 16 through 25
Special discount on tickets for Back Room Wines Customers
| The New York Times calls it "a
feast for the senses." 
Travel+Leisure Magazine says it is "
California's top summer
festival."
The festival brings together concerts performed by world-class
musicians with food and wine events hosted by Napa's leading wineries.
There is no other place
that could have a festival like this, with beautiful venues, wine country
hospitality, and an enthusiastic audience.
Concerts take place at venues around Napa Valley, with performances that
include classical (violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet,
mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, conductor Carlo Ponti and others), jazz
(trumpeter Chris Botti and Canadian singer Nikki Janofsky) and dance (stars
of the Bolshoi, Kirov and American Ballet Theatres).
The wineries roll out the red carpet and put on beautiful
lunches and dinners every day. Many top wineries are involved including
Quintessa, Pride Mountain, Seven Stones, Mondavi, Far Niente, Darioush,
PlumpJack, Round Pond and others, both the well-known and
"undiscovered."There are also family events, wellness programs,
culinary events, and a series for talented young artists.
This very popular festival sells out, so buy your tickets in advance.
Visit the Festival Del Sole website to purchase concert and package tickets.
Back Room Wines Customer discount. Once you've chosen your Festival Del Sole concert(s) or package, on the next page you'll see a Promotion Code box.
Enter the code backroom and receive a 15% discount.
It's a great event. Maybe I'll see you at one of the concerts!
Drink more Schnapps. Dan
Daniel Dawson
Owner, Back Room Wines Corner of First & Main Streets (First Street
Entrance) Downtown Napa, California 94559 Phone: (707) 226-1378 Toll Free # is
877-322-2576 email: daniel@backroomwines.com |
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