And we have the bubbles!

Last night’s tasting was a bit harried, 1/2 the staff and 2X the customers but the bubbles saw us through: My quick take on the (extensive) line up:

Cristalino Cave Brut: good not great Spanish cava, but a steal for $8 and great for larger groups that actually pay attention to what’s in the glass. Crisp and clean but doesn’t linger

Bisol Prosecco “Crede” Brut: Light and refreshing, what Prosecco should aspire to with hints of lemon, peach pit and a touch of minerality. The touch of Pinot Bianco lifts it above other Prosecco. One of our standard brands

Champagne Heidsieck Monopole “Blue Top” Brut; high % of Pinot Noir with full but soft creamy texture. Definitely one of my two favorites and partially because of the great price

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc 2007 (Napa) One of the best California bubbly operations, this was my other favorite its drinking great and its a $40 bottle for only $27. Has nice toasty ginger snap flavors and a plush but lively texture %100 Chardonnay

Champagne Gimmonet-Gonet Brut: I really enjoyed this one, one of our tasters commented that it tastes like Champagne should taste which is a great complement. You taste the grape and terroir. It is steely with vibrant citrus flavors just a hint of lees and a good dose of that limestone minerality which distinguishes Champagne. They blend Chard and Pinot about 50-50 on this one and eshew any Malo or barrels for the base wines. However most people preferred the softer texture of the Heidsieck.

Take your pick, they are all good and at great prices.
Cheers,
Rich Mora

Grand Cru Chablis Save 29%

What a find. This Grand Cru juice was release at $75! We are selling it for $52.99!

More about the Les Preuses vineyard Chablis is the northernmost apellation in Burgundy lying som 100 miles north of Beaune and is devoted to clean distinct Chardonnay of

great intensity and purity with the distinct character of the Kimmeridgean limestone upon which it is situated. The top vineyards of any Burgundy apellation are designated Grand Cru meaning “great growth” of which there are seven in Chablis. The striking thing about any Burgundy is how small these sites that produce world famous wines are.  All of the Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis combined cover barely 100 hectares and the Les Preuses vineyard receives the most sun of the seven producing the most full bodied wine of the Grand Crus. White Burgundy in general and the top bottlings from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards have excellent aging potential, something that doesn’t usually come to mind regarding Chardonnay. Actually I believe most people drink their white Burgs too young. Burgundy Hound suggests drinking this one after 2014 and Winespectator 2012-2027!

Don’t miss Mora’s last tasting of the year, Friday December 30th 5 to 8pm.
Gimonnet-Gonet Champagne Brut Tradition NV (France)
Sale Price $28.04 regular price $32.99 save 15%
“Patriarch Pierre Gimmonet had three sons. Two took over the existing company, and the third, Philippe, said ‘goodbye.’ Philippe married Anne Gonet – whose parents had Grand Cru Chardonnay vines atop Le Mesnil – thus giving birth in 1986 to Champagne Gimmonet-Gonet. All domaine fruit, some came from Philippe’s ‘severance package’ and the rest came from Anne’s father. Champagne Gimmonet-Gonet is today comprised of 13 hectares, under ‘sustained’ viticultural practices and whose vines average 40 years of age. Six of these hectares are Grands Crus and are located in Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chilly and Oger (all Chardonnay); the seven other hectares (Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier) are planted in the Marne Valley (Vincelles, Verneuil and Troissy). Their still wine never undergoes malo and barrels are NEVER used.

“Champagne Gimmonet-Gonet is stand-alone, no-frills bubbly that shows extremely well against much heavier weights, and does quite well next to their neighbor Krug (also from Le Mesnil). The Brut Tradition is 50% chardonnay, 50% pinot noir.” -The Importer

Heidsieck Monopole Brut Champagne Blue Top NV (France)
Sale Price $26.09 regular price $39.99 save 35%
88 Points – Wine Spectator, December 2010
“Candied apple character, with a hint of red berry and a refined texture, mark this elegant, medium-bodied bubbly, which is fresh, with a moderate finish. Drink now.” -Bruce Sanderson

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc Sommelier Selection 2007 (California)
Sale Price $26.99 regular price $39.99 save 33%
91 Points – Wine Advocate, December 2010
“Perhaps the finest portfolio of Schramsberg sparkling wines I have tasted to date, these beauties include the outstanding, frothy 2007 Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay), which reveals notes of brioche, white currants and lemon blossoms. Medium-bodied with persistent effervescence and excellent acidity, it should drink nicely for several years or more. (I do not believe in aging these sparkling wines.)” -Antonio Galloni

Bisol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Crede Brut 2009 (Italy)
Sale Price $16.99 regular price $19.99 save 15%
90 Points – Wine Advocate, February 2011
“Bisol’s NV (2009) Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Crede from Bisol is a beautifully focused, vibrant Prosecco laced with ripe pears, citrus and flowers. Though a touch on the minerally side, the Crede is a reminder of just how delicious Prosecco can be.” -Antonio Galloni

“85% Prosecco, 10% Pinot Bianco and 5% Verdisio. The nose is intense, fresh, elegant and it features an extremely agreeable fruitiness of apples and pear. Rich and balanced palate. Fantastic with risotto’s, pasta with vegetables, light fried fish. Great with sushi, sashimi, tempura and tofu. It is also the ideal Prosecco for preparing the original Bellini.” -The Importer

Cristalino Brut NV (Spain)
Sale Price $7.99 regular price $9.99 save 20%
88 Points! – Wine Enthusiast
BESTBUY! “…always a solid go-to Cava. This brut is round, slightly yeasty and shows citrus aromas that veer toward lemon-lime. The palate is healthy and clean, with a narrow set of citrus and apple flavors. Fairly full and long on the finish, which makes the whole package more than worthwhile given the cost.”

87 Points – International Wine Cellar
“Subtle, leesy aromas of apple, spices, flowers and nuts. Dry, racy and perfumed, with intense ginger and apple flavors complicated by nutty and floral nuances. Finishes quite dry and restrained. Unusually subtle, fresh, clean Cava.”

Wall Street Journal
“Jaume Serra’s sleek, weightless, dry Cristalino Brut, a nonvintage Spanish cava with a floral bouquet, resembles expensive French Champagnes. This Catalonian white blend has fine bubbles and appetite-quickening green-apple flavor.” -Howard Goldberg

Well its mostly the “real thing” they are all highly rated French Champagnes except for the Schramsberg which is such a good deal we had to add it in.

Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose 92WS	Taittinger Brut La Francaise, 90WS	Moet Imperial, Off Sale	Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut NV
Chartogne-Taillet 90IWC	Gimmonet-Gonet Brut NV	Heidsieck Monopole Brue NV,88WS	Schramsberg Blanc de blanc 91WA

Thanks for another prosperous, wine filled year, hope your holidays are merry and your spirits bright. We’re back to normal Monday, until New Year’s Eve.
Cheers,
Rich

This week we taste on Friday night 5-8pm on. Our line up includes a peated malt whisky from India and a 10 year old Canadian straight rye! Get in the spirit and get some spirits in you. Here is my take on the line up:

Hardy Cognac VSOP An excellent Cognac closer to the X0 league with 8 years barrel age. It is warm and full of fruit flavors of pear and apple with toffee and toasty notes.

Noah’s Mill Small Batch Bourbon 114.3 proof  This was the one spirit I thought really needed a little branch water. Its powerful flavors of oak, nuts,
and smoky notes really mellowed with just a splash. Very good but a bit over the top for me

Masterson’s Straight Rye Whiskey 10 year old 90 proof  I preferred this whiskey to the Noah’s Mill. It has nicely balanced grainy and spicy flavors with a hint of popcorn and is  not overpowered by the flavors of cask

Bunnahabhain 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 92.6 proof This Islay whisky was very good and very interesting. The peat treatment is light but very apparent on the nose while on the palate it shows a malty sweetness I don’t associate with Islay whisky’s. Very nicely balanced.

Amrut Distillery Peated Single Malt Whisky 92 proof I preferred the lighter peat on the Bunnahabhain  but it seems the Amrut was preferred by my fellow tasters. Very smokey with aromas of  iodine and creosote if you like that sort of thing, and some do!

We sell this top quality Rioja-esque Tempranillo from the land of Don Quixote for a song ($13.59). Now that’s the impossible dream.
.

Lovely 2003 St. Emilion and Cotes de Castillon at great prices.

2003 Le Berliquet	2003 Clos L’Eglise	2003 La Couspaude

Witch	Ghost of Christmas yet to come?	Who’s she?

Don’t feel like a wine dolt when you confess to buying labels. I’ve been at this biz for centuries and sometimes its thumbs up or thumbs down based on a label being irresistable or just wrong. Stop by for the weekly line up, I’ll follow up with a Monday morning re cap of the favorites of the day. We’ll
be doing:

2010 Dandelion Riesling, Wonderland of Eden Valley, Australia

I love it. We’ve poured this at a few tastings. Very concentrated from very old vines. Great bouquet of lime, apricot and white flowers with wonderful mineral notes on the palate of limestone and citrus. The finish lingers, an astonishing wine

2008 Misfits Wine Co. “Brujeria” Clare Valley (probably), Australia

50% Tempranillo, balance has Shiraz and Grenache, wonderful red fruits but with some cocoa and crushed stone in the midpalate, very lush and enjoyable

2009 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz Limestone Coast, Australia

A fresh lush but concentrated style of Shiraz with lots of dark berry and spice, awonderful value

2007 Shinas Estates Cabernet Sauvignon “The Verdict” Mildura, Australia

Lots of great Cab Sauv character but not Napa style, a bit chewier but still has the darkness and concentration of either good benchland or mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The minerality in this wine is definitely not “Rutherford dust”, like I said a bit chewier and very enjoyable. Give it an hour to breath

2010 Some Young Punks (SYP) Passion Has Red Lips Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz McLaren Vale (probably), Australia

She always aims to please, and succeeds! More Cab than shiraz but the raspberry and spice of the Shiraz comes through very strongly. Lots of heft to it.