04/15/2019 Newsletter
Greetings from the Wine Cellar:
This Saturday, April 20th brings ARTbeat 12, the annual juried art show and sale at the Yuma Art Center and the adjoining Main Street Plaza here in Historic Downtown. ARTbeat showcases an eclectic mix of local and regional artists who work in a variety of artistic mediums and styles, including sculpture, painting, jewelry, graphic design, glass, ceramics, photography and mixed media. From 4:00 to 9:00 PM, the art displays will be accompanied by live music and a fun party atmosphere on the Plaza, so plan to head downtown Saturday and enjoy some art along with our fantastic Yuma spring weather!
THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING
Grgich Hills 2015 Estate Chardonnay (Napa Valley) $34.99 This estate Chardonnay from one of the premier producers in the Napa Valley is fresh and lively. A rich palate delivers a delicious medley of ripe pear and green apple fruit flavors amidst a fine backdrop of sweet toasty oak and vibrant acidity, which imparts a nice sense of youthful verve.
Rocca Delle Macie 2015 Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) $16.99 This Classico begins with fresh black cherry aromas, mixed in with hints of leather, earth, plums and violets. The palate is medium-bodied, with supple tannins and good acidity. Classic Chianti flavors of ripe dark cherry and plum are edged with a hint of licorice.
Château La Freynelle 2016 Merlot-Cabernet (Bordeaux, France) $14.99 This is a very nice example of “basic” Bordeaux from a pretty good vintage. The nose offers notes of blackberry and black currant plus savory accents of toasted oak. The palate is balanced and refined, showing silky tannins amid pleasant hints of espresso and spice.
Avalon 2015 California Red Blend $9.99
Rich and smooth, this nicely polished red seems to melt in the mouth, offering lush flavors of dark cherry, raspberry and dark chocolate. It’s soft in terms of acidity and low in tannins. A blend of 54% Zinfandel plus Cabernet Sauignon and Petite Sirah.
Francis Coppola 2014 Director’s Merlot (Sonoma County) $17.99 The 2014 Director’s Merlot offers fine density and complexity. The nose exhibits aromas of ripe blackberry fruit surrounded with floral notes, tobacco and exotic spice. Lavish flavors of cherry and blackberry are layered by notes of vanilla, mocha and fig.
J Lohr 2015 Tower Road Petite Sirah (Paso Robles) $22.99 Vivid, pure blackberry-raspberry-blueberry flavors are terrifically ripe, juicy and deeply concentrated. Full-bodied tannins manage to stay in the background to let a delicious core of dark fruit flavors swirl on the palate. Peppery accents enliven a lasting finish.
NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS
Joel Gott 2016 Shatter Grenache (Cotes Catalanes, France) $22.99 A collaboration by well-known California winemakers Joel Gott and Dave Phinney (the latter of Orin Swift renown), Shatter Grenache is sourced from 60 year-old hillside vines in the south of France. The wine achieves a unique melding of New World opulence with an “Old World” character and complexity.
Corvo 2017 Bianco (Sicily, Italy) $11.99 Made from a blend of the native Sicilian grapes Insolia and Grecanico, this is a lighter bodied and really refreshing white, with a true Mediterranean character. Aromas and flavors of lime zest, ripe peach and green apple are paired with fresh, bright acidity on the nicely dry finish.
Kangarilla Road 2014 Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia) $19.99 This combines parcels of old-vine Shiraz from Kangarilla Road’s own vineyards in McLaren Vale with fruit sourced from other vineyards in the Seaview and Blewitt Springs Districts. The goal is to craft a wine that offers all the classic McLaren Vale hallmarks of plums, spice and anise, but with a more subtle and integrated approach to oak aging.
Cheers!
Mike Shelhamer
Old Town Wine Cellar
265 S. Main Street, Suite E
Yuma, Arizona 85364
928-373-0405
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