Tag Archives: wine of the day

Wine of the Day: Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 10-4-16

Chateau de Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $39 special, 36+ bottles available

Case-6 Chateau de Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 750ML ($239.95) Buy Now: $219 special

Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012

Louis Barruol has 14 generations of winemaking on his side at Saint Cosme. His family represents Rhone winemaking better, and more exhaustively, than most. Gigondas may be home for Saint Cosme, but when it comes to making Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Barruol changes his cap. The wine – 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 18% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault, 2% Clairette – ages for 24 months in used oak barrels, for example, and is bottled without filtration. For a year like 2012, this results in a wine of finesse and freshness: classic, you might say. Delicious, you could also say: ask the critics. And for 39 bucks, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Chateauneuf of equal distinction and tradition. We’re calling it one of our best Rhone bottles. – Daniel

Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 Points “Opaque ruby. Deep, smoke-accented dark berry and floral scents are lifted by a note of peppery spice. Smoky and sweet in the mouth, offering intense blueberry and cassis flavors and a hint of candied violet. Suggests the north in its fruit profile, finishing with very good punch and length and velvety, late-arriving tannins.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Wine of the Day: Twill Cellars Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2014 9-28-16

Twill Cellars Chardonnay, Northern Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($27.95) Buy Now: $24 special

Twill Cellars Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2014

Oregon Chardonnay that reflects its origins: humble, straight forward, and charming like a farmhouse in the valley where it was grown. Twill Cellars works hard at not over-working their wines. Fermentation unravels at its own pace, when and how nature says, like the leaves do in autumn. Neutral oak and no subsequent racking let the Chardonnay speak for itself, and for its home. Thanks to wines like this, I’m beginning to prefer Oregon Chardonnay to Pinot. – Daniel

Winery Note: Intense aromas of meyer lemon and white peach are complemented with notes of flint, toasted coconut and lime leaves. On the palate, concentrated and mouthwatering notes of lemon curd, fleur de sel and graham are followed with a very long, concentrated and vibrant finish.

Wine of the Day: Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Cubillo’ Crianza 2007 9-27-16

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Cubillo’ Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($29.95) Buy Now: $24 special

Seek out some good, thinly sliced jamon and a chunk of queso manchego, and open a Cubillo: feel Spanish for the night. Or make a paella, or a tortilla, or grill a solomillo steak. Viña Cubillo pairs with whatever, and drinks like a reserva (which it qualifies as). Only classic Rioja comes from Lopez de Heredia, and here’s a fine daily drinker or an introduction to the winery. Heredia’s reds and whites represent some of Spain’s most graceful, since 1890. – Daniel

Wine Advocate 91+ points “The 2007 Viña Cubillo Crianza is the most affordable red. It is a wine that was born to go with tapas and to be sold at local restaurants showing a combination of fruit and the earth where the vines grow. It is a blend of the usual 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo fermented in old oak vats with natural yeasts and matured in barrel for three years. The intoxicating nose shows blood orange, bitter cherries, leather and spices in a subtle and balanced way. The palate is sinewy, polished, has good acidity and is not terribly complex nor powerful, but is built more on the subtlety and lightness. This could well be the best Cubillo of recent times.”

Wine of the Day: Paitin ‘Sori Paitin’ Barbaresco 2012 9-21-16

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Sori Paitin’, Barbaresco DOCG 2012 750ML SOLD OUT

Paitin ‘Sori Paitin’ Barbaresco 2012

Few finer things can interrupt a workday than a visit by Giovanni Pasquero Elia, whose family owns Paitin, producers of fine Barbaresco. We tasted five reds, and the 2012 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin stood out like the Alps on a clear winter morning. The concentrated yet elegant nose of pomegranate, spice, and cherries deserved a little extra time to savor, and then the supple tannins and delightfully long finish inspired dreams of a five-course northern Italian meal… This wine drinks deliciously today, but would cellar just fine, too. Aromas of Barbaresco continue to saturate my palate. Grazie, Paitin! – Daniel

Antonio Galloni 93 points “Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, mint and leather are some of the notes that emerge from the 2012 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin. The Sorì Paitin is quite a bit more complex than it was from barrel, largely because the bottled wine is composed of approximately 30% wine that was originally destined for the Vecchie Vigne. As a result, this is one of the few 2012s I tasted that has real upside potential, even if it is relatively approachable today.”

Don’t miss this, either: the 2011 Paitin Serra Barbaresco. Antonio Galloni calls 2011 “a rare vintage in which Barbaresco outperforms neighboring Barolo.”

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Serra’, Barbaresco DOCG 2011 750ML ($41.95) Buy Now: $31.90 special

Wine Spectator 94 points “Rich and velvety, yet also vibrant and complex, this red boasts floral, berry, anise, leather and mineral flavors. Harmonious, this turns slightly chewy in texture on the lingering finish. Best from 2017 through 2027. 1,000 cases made.” WS

Antonio Galloni 93 points “Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, spices and mint race across the palate in the 2011 Barbaresco Serra. This is one of the most intense, tannic 2011 Barbarescos readers will come across. Far from an easygoing wine, the 2011 is going to need considerable patience. Hints of sweet tobacco, mint and anise add nuance on the layered, super-expressive finish. The 2011 Serra spent two years in 50-hectoliter casks.” AG

Wine of the Day: Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 9-18-16

Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2013 750ML ($59.95) Buy Now: $49 special

Case-12 Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2013 750ML ($649.95) Buy Now: $536 special

In Napa, like in Bordeaux, some areas produce finer wines than others. The Rutherford region, for example, represents one of Napa’s best sites, something like a St Julien. Round Pond Estate, now in its second generation of family ownership and operation, hails from Rutherford. The MacDonnell family grows first-rate wine grapes, and trusts these to their gifted winemaker Muiris Griffin. Having studied in Bordeaux, Griffin soon collaborated with Opus One before working with Paul Draper at Ridge. None other than Robert Parker loves Round Pond wines, while Antonio Galloni has this to say: “Round Pond remains one of the true under the radar jewels of Napa Valley.” We’re putting their exquisite wines on your radar, so you can taste what Parker and Galloni are talking about. – Daniel

Robert Parker 92 Points “The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec, is a beauty. It’s also realistically priced by Napa standards. The wine reveals toasty oak, blackberry and cassis fruit, beautiful texture, purity and length. This is a big-time winner and should drink well for 12-15 years.”

Antonio Galloni 92 Points “Round Pond’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is fabulous. Aromatic, pliant and expressive, the 2013 is incredibly nuanced for such a young wine. Sweet red plum, wild flowers, mint and cinnamon meld together in a medium-bodied, gracious Cabernet that will drink well with minimal cellaring.”

Want a Round Pond for everyday drinking? Here it is:

Vinopolis Wine Shop