01/13/2015 Newsletter
Greetings from the Wine Cellar:
My friends over at Das Bratwurst House (2nd St. & Madison Ave, one block off Main St.) are presenting the GermanFest on Madison this Saturday, January 17th from 10 AM to 8 PM, with plenty of beer, food, music and fun, German-style. It’s sort of an Oktoberfest celebration in January, which makes perfect sense when you consider our beautiful mid-winter weather. So we’ll get into the spirit as well by holding another of our periodic Saturday Afternoon Beer Tastings here at the Wine Cellar. We’ve gotten some great new beers since our last Saturday tasting, so stop in anytime between noon and 5 PM and give them a try – the tasting fee is just $5. Come on down to Historic Downtown this Saturday and hoist a brew or two!
THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING:
Castello Banfi 2012 Principessa Gavia Gavi (Piedmont, Italy) $14.99
Banfi’s Principessa Gavi exudes pleasant scents of green apple with a floral accent. It’s a light-bodied white that’s refreshing, fruity and fun, with green apple, juicy lime and white pear flavors edged with keen acidity. The ending is clean and crisp.
Starmont 2012 Pinot Noir (Carneros) $22.99
In the late 70’s and early 80’s, Napa Valley’s Carneros region helped launch a revolution in California Pinot Noir. Its cooler climate and marine-based soils proved ideal for this finicky varietal. Starmont’s 2012 bottling exudes aromas of cherry, strawberry, black tea and spice. The texture is soft and silky, with vibrant acidity and smooth tannins.
Cosentino 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (Lodi) $12.99
Cosentino’s 2012 ‘The Cab’ is bright crimson in color, with sage and currants on the nose. It’s medium bodied, with youthful red fruit flavors of cherries and pomegranates accented by savory spice notes that come in at the finish. A versatile, fresh and food-friendly Cabernet.
Pasqua 2010 Rosso Passimento (Veneto, Italy) $15.99
Essentially a turbo-charged Valpolicella, this wine is made with partially dried grapes to concentrate the flavors. It contains some Merlot in addition to the indigenous Corvina and Croatina grapes to add smoothness. The result is a succulent red with rich flavors of red cherry jam, raisins and spice that remain savory and dry through the finish.
Qupé 2012 Syrah (Central Coast) $19.99
This is a vibrant Syrah, overflowing with ripe black fruit on the nose, followed up by notes of spice and oak. Dense fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries and stewed plums are tinged with accents of mocha, expresso and cinnamon that come to a lush, lasting finish.
Alejandro Fernández 2009 Condado de Haza (Ribera del Duero, Spain) $29.99
This Tempranillo opens with intense, lush scents of ripe raspberries and plums with floral overtones. The palate is plush and expansive, with spiced cherry and cassis flavors and bitter chocolate notes. Toasty vanilla and cracked pepper hints emerge on a long, gently tannic finish.
NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:
Martin Ray 2012 Merlot (Napa Valley) $21.99
This Napa Merlot offers aromas of exotic spice, ripe plums and toasty vanillin oak, followed by a supple palate packed with flavors of dark plums and black cherries with overtones of dark chocolate. A long, clean finish completes the package.
Michel Gassier 2013 Nostre Pais Blanc (Costieres de Nimes, France) $17.99
Crafted in the style of the finest whites of Chateauneuf du Pape, the 2013 Nostre Pais combinesGrenache Blanc with Roussanne and Viognier to add complexity plus a deeper aromatic profile. It’s bright and fresh, with white peach, golden apple and honeysuckle notes.
Coto de Imaz 2008 Rioja Reserva (Rioja, Spain) $24.99
This Reserva is a deep ruby red with a garnet edge. The nose is redolent of red cherry fruit with a hint of leather and spices. On the palate, red cherry and brambly ripe berry fruit flavors are nicely uplifted by complex spice and oak accents.
Cheers!
Mike Shelhamer
Old Town Wine Cellar
265 S. Main Street, Suite E
Yuma, Arizona 85364
928-373-0405
http://www.facebook.com/oldtownwinecellar
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