Archive

Our good friend/DEP’s alum/RNDC-Cumberland rep Jen came by Thursday with a dozen wines from Raymond, a winery undergoing a renaissance thanks to their new partners, Boisset America. Raymond has always been a great producer, but their prices have never been right. Looks like times are changing: Raymond Chardonnay R Collection 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Medium-bodied with lots [...]

Our good friend/DEP’s alum/Tramonte rep, Devon came by with six terrific wines: Hewitson Lu Lu Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Really nice, almost creamy style of SB with lemon meringue, Key Lime Pie and gooseberry jam. Finishes with nice acidity and a rounded edge. Il Campo White Wine Central Coast 2009. Grade=Outstanding. This blend [...]

Yesterday, our good friend and Vintner Select rep Brian came by with Mike Gwin from Tarrica Wine Cellars of Paso Robles. I had mentioned Tarrica before earlier this year, and loved them so much at the time that we named them wines of the month for the store for April. We ran through the gamut [...]

In drive-by fashion, our very own Amazonian wine sprite, Jesse (of SWS/Starz), dropped in with a couple of Italian (wines): Borgo Conventi Pinot Grigio Collio 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Lean, austere, with a burst of lemon zest, some light minerality, a bit of cucumber (yeah I said it) and a steely, dry finish. Nice. Borgo Conventi Chardonnay [...]

Our good friend Lou from RNDC/Barkley came by with a revisit to a faithful ol’ value brand: Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio California 2008. Grade=Average. An okay PG with some lemon zest, wet mineral and slight herbs. Light and decent. Gnarly Head Chardonnay California 2009. Grade=Outstanding. A pretty good tropical-fruit style Chardonnay with light-bodied presence on [...]

Dr. Gonzo (aka Ray from SWS/Crown) dropped in on Shannon and I today with a fistful of Frenchies: Simonnet Febvre Brut Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc NV. Grade=Outstanding. Nice effervescence amidst hints of fresh apples, pears, mineral and slight lemon mousse. Finishes quite dry. Simonnet Febvre Brut Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé NV. Grade=Outstanding. Light notes of [...]

I have a monumental confession to make: I am a low-budget foodie. What the hell does that mean? Well, it means that I am not opposed to eating a hot dog, Hamburger Helper, or a good ol’ fashioned meat loaf dish in lieu of Chateaubriand or Pork Wellington. I am not – and doubt I [...]

Our good friend/new Vintner Select sales manager, Jeff, dropped in to show off some cool new stuff from their ever-expanding portfolio: Gruet Blanc de Blancs Sauvage NV. Grade=Outstanding. Holy cow is this one dry sparkler! Felt my teeth recess as I was tasting this, and all the water in my body began a quiet, clandestine [...]

Our good friend/Cutting Edge rep Lauren came by with some great little treasures, as well as offering up some Spanish closeouts: Cellers Can Blau Can Blau Montsant 2008. Grade=Amazing. This delicious red is rich and complex, with a lot of black currant, blueberry, loganberry, spice box, and dark chocolate notes. It is medium-to-full-bodied, with plush [...]

Our good friend and RNDC/Barkley rep Lou came by with a lineup of really solid values from California: Twisted Pinot Grigio California 2008 (1.5 liter). Grade=Average. Yes, yes, yes, the bias is coming out again. This is a nice, simplistic, straightforward PG with some lemongrass and ripe pear notes. Light, nice acidity, and we’re out. [...]