November 9, 2013
Chateauneuf du Pape
&
Feature Sale of Two of the Best

Few wines offer as visually clear natural expressions of grape, place and vintage as a good Châteauneuf. Chateauneuf du Pape takes its name from the time when Pope Clement V, an avid wine lover, moved to Avignon in 1305. As well as its long history producing wine, Chateauneuf is one of the largest appellations in France at over 300 hectares and, officially established in 1932, was the first AOC in France. Traditionally, the wines were field blends of many grapes grown side by side. While the appellation’s rules permit the use of 13 grapes in the blend, most wines now are dominated by Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah.

November 7, 2013

Overlooked in the USA for far too long, vermouths and other aperitif wines are making a comeback.  But what are these bittersweet beverages and what should you do with them?  We can categorize these drinks under the general heading of aperitif wines.  They are composed of a base wine, or mistelle, that is fortified, aromatized, bittered and usually sweetened.  The base wine is typically white even in red aperitifs.  It can be sweetened by adding sugar or by stopping the fermentation of the base wine.  Fortification is often done with grape or other neutral spirits.  Fortification also helps preserve the wine and can be used to stop fermentation when residual grape sugar remains.  A bittering ingredient, herbs, plants and spices are used to add flavors and aromas.  

 November 4, 2013

Wine Enthusiast 93 points “this riserva from the legendary Rio Sordo vineyard offers intense underbrush aromas of truffle, pine forest, leather and balsamic notes. The palate has a core of juicy black cherries layered with cinnamon-spice and shows plenty of depth” Wine Spectator 92 points “Graphite and mineral aromas and flavors turn into cherry, licorice and sandalwood in this muscular, savory red, which is pungent and dense, with a tight-grained finish. Racy. Best from 2015 through 2027.” Wine Advocate 92 points “A picture perfect example of site, the 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is classic Rio Sordo. Medium in body, it possesses a sweet, open bouquet and a relatively medium-bodied personality next to the rest of the wines in this range.

November 2, 2013

Weingut Selbach-Oster

For Johannes Selbach, the current generation in the Selbach-Oster lineage, quality is always the focus, and this goal has rewarded consumers over the past decade. For years, Selbach-Oster has been universally accepted as one of the very best producers of the Mosel and their wines are among the best made anywhere in terms of quality at any given price level. Noted importer and German wine lover Terry Thiese, always a fan of Selbach-Oster, says, “The ambitiousness of Johannes Selbach has made this estate the region’s most prominent rising star. Since 1989, [Selbach-Oster is] always among the very best wines of the collection.”

The ancestors of the Selbach-Oster estate have been cultivating Riesling since 1600. The Selbach family originated from the village Ürzig and the Oster family comes from the small village of Zeltingen on the opposite side of the river.