Tag Archives: buy

Wine of the Day: Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 2013 4-12-16

Thomas Pico Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 2013 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $28 special
Why we love it: Efficiency. There’s a relentless energy to this wine, so packed with flavor and layers yet sitting so delicately on the tongue. Lemon sorbet, ripe peach, white flowers, and a kiss of spice make it classic, yet the texture of it all lends a really lovely distinctiveness. I’m crazy about this one. – Tyler

“The 2013 Chablis Villages is a blend of vines up to 60 years old, 90% in vat and 10% in barrel. This came from the latest of three bottling that Thomas Pico makes. It has a clean and precise bouquet with citrus fruit and just a faint touch of white chocolate. The palate is well balanced with a crisp, light opening, simple at first, but offering a light spicy note toward the finish to lend a bit of personality. Returning after 10 minutes, it develops a light marine element on the nose and a touch more weight on the finish.” -Wine Advocate

Wine of the Day – Evesham Wood Puits Sec 2013 4-9-16

Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2013 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: $33 special
“Russ Raney founded Evesham Wood Winery in 1986. He studied wine in Germany before eventually moving to Portland to find an ideal US site for Burgundian and Alsatian-style wines. He is now enjoying semi-retirement while importing southern French wines from Clos Canos and Chateau de Cabriac, among others. Erin Nuccio took over as wine-maker and owner after working several years with Russ while also developing his Haden Fig label.

“The estate vineyard, Le Puits Sec, is planted on an east facing slope overlooking the Willamette River. It has iron-rich soils and is planted to several varieties. While the Evesham Wood wines tend toward elegance and the Haden Fig wines towards more fruit-forward notes, both are expressive examples of their (all dry-farmed) vineyards.

“The 2013 Le Puits Sec grapes were harvested before the rains and opens with notes of crushed violets. As this is still young, I gave the wine a chance to unwind for 24 hours before revisiting. The second taste still holds on to the violet and floral notes while adding a touch of wet autumn leaves that gives the nose a delightfully rustic note. The palate is all finesse with extremely fine, grippy tannins, delightfully balanced acidity and a light to medium body. It finishes with a hint of iron and red berries with an extra, unexpected something reminiscent of classic Sangiovese. A stylish 2013 and, of those I’ve tried, promises a superb aging potential.” -Suzanne

Wine of the Day: Domaine Léon Barral Faugeres 2012 4-8-16

Domaine Leon Barral Faugeres 2012 750ML ($37.95) Buy Now: $31.90 special

“I remember my first Faugeres wine like my first Jimi Hendrix record: I don’t recall where, or which it was, even, but I remember perfectly the feeling that this was unique, special, worthwhile… So many of the producers in Kermit Lynch’s portfolio have achieved that same effect, at once jarring and welcome. The Faugeres from Barral – like Hendrix – so wonderfully walks that line between edgy and suave, punk and soulful.

“Didier Barral is a postcard producer for Lynch, someone to check in on from time to time to get a feel for that vintage and region, even if he’s riffing differently than the other guys. Farming biodynamically, he relies on a miniature ecosystem in order to work his vines. Cows, pigs, and horses graze freely, begetting mushrooms and earthworms and other beneficial lifeforms. Hippie stuff, but with a purpose.

“This cuvee is a blend of 50% Carignan, 30% Syrah, and 20% Grenache from 40-70 year old vines; all grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, then vinified in cement cuves employing native yeasts. A month of maceration in old wooden vat is followed by a light pressing in a wooden basket press; the wine is then aged for roughly two years in barrel, almost all old. The resulting wine is tinged with rusticity, boasting dark fruit, licorice, and smoked meats. Hold onto a few if you can, but don’t feel bad for popping the cork if you’re feeling particularly groovy…” – Tyler

Wine of the Day: Teofilo Reyes Ribera del Duero 2011 4-7-16

Teofilo Reyes, Ribera del Duero 2011 ($29.95) Buy Now: $24 special
Case-12 Teofilo Reyes, Ribera del Duero 2011 ($319.95) Buy Now: $259 special
Bodegas Reyes was founded by Juan Jose and Luis in 1994, under the supervision of his father, Teofilo Reyes, who hoped to bring some continuity from his 50 years of experience.% 100 Tempranillo. The wine is hand harvested and aged in French and American oak for 16 months. On the palate, wonderfully dense, layered dark fruit gives way to supple tannins and a nice, long finish. Notes of spice, oak, and anise compliment this well produced wine. Great value at $24 per bottle, or our case-12 special for $21.58 each! -Troy

Wine of the Day: Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Rouge 2005 4-5-16

Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2005 750ML ($59.95) Buy Now: $49 special

New releases of old wines feel like a secret you’ve been let in on. I’m not talking about hundred-plus dollar wines buried under a decade of patience – though those can certainly be a treat! – but rather those bottles you walk past in a shop and take a second, third, and fourth glance at. The price seems right but the vintage evokes memories of former selves: poor fashion choices, friends we’ve lost touch with, long-forgotten celebrity scandals and political strife…

The 2005 Bourgogne-level Pinot from Lafarge is nothing short of a postcard from Volnay. Dark fruits mingle with sizzling acidity, a touch of meatiness, and a hint of black tea; there’s a paradoxical blend of freshness with maturity here which is intriguing without being distracting. Much like similar efforts from Lopez de Heredia, Kalin Cellars, and Olga Raffault, it’s a rare privilege to encounter well-aged, carefully crafted wines at such a value.

Turns out time travel is possible, and at $49, it’s cheap! Enjoy this one, friends. – Tyler