01/13/2020 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

 

Just a quick note this week to make everyone aware, if they’re not already, about the winter season performance series now ongoing at the Yuma Art Center/Historic Yuma Theatre here in downtown Yuma (254 S. Main Street). It’s a nice variety of “tribute band” concerts, comedy and nostalgia acts that are always a lot of fun. This Saturday evening for instance brings some good old country music to town with Hillbilly Deluxe, a show combining plenty of music with some unabashedly cornball comedy, with songs made famous by Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Alabama and many other country greats. Or as the promo says “a little bit of fiddlin’, a little bit of pickin’ and a whole lot of grinnin’ with great songs and great fun!” Hey, if hillbilly country’s not your cup of tea, there are lots of other shows coming to town in the near future – check www.yumaartcenter for the schedule or call 373-5202 for more details. As I’ve always said, downtown is where it’s all happening. Like the wine tastings at the Cellar!

 

THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING:

 

Franciscan 2017 Chardonnay (Napa County/Monterey County)     $14.99 This is a bright, fresh Chardonnay, with intensely ripe fruit flavor. A portion of the wine was made with native or “wild” yeasts. That, along with malolactic fermentation and ‘sur lie’ aging, adds a rich and creamy character to the wine while oak aging gives a toasty, savory complexity.

 

Folie à Deux 2017 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)   $19.99 Folie à Deux 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir opens with intense aromas of ripe plum, dark cherry and raspberry followed by subtle hints of earthy truffle and spice. Precise and clean, the wine offers a pleasing palate of ripe black cherry fruit edged, with a hint of tobacco leaf.

 

Coppo 2017 L’Avvocata Barbera d’Asti (Piedmont, Italy)   $15.99 Ruby red in the glass, L’Avvocata offers Barbera’s classic, intense nose of ripe dark cherry and strawberry. The aromas transition to a juicy and full-bodied palate of crushed raspberries and plums. Fresh acidity lifts the rich fruit flavors, ending on a long, spicy and satisfying finish.

 

Hope Estate 2017 Basalt Block Shiraz (Hunter Valley, Australia)   $14.99 The Basalt Block opens with notes of pepper and spice, with some blackberry undertones and oak notes. A juicy palate offers ripe berry fruits, spicy plums, and an underlying earthy savoriness. Balanced acidity along with well integrated vanillin oak and soft silky tannins give the wine great texture and good length.

 

Daou Vineyards 2017 Pessimist Red (Paso Robles)   $19.99 The Pessimist is primarily Petite Sirah, along with a supporting mix of Zinfandel and Syrah. It’s broad and expansive on the palate, with lush flavors of ripe dark cherries, blueberries, crème de cassis and a hint of forest floor. Notes of lavender, anise and black olives complement the rich fruit in this massive yet elegant red.

 

Sbragia Vineyards 2015 Gino’s Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley)   $27.99 In the Dry Creek Valley “field blends” are a time honored tradition. Gino’s Zinfandel represents a typical field blend that the winemaker’s grandfather Gino made each year. This vintage is full of lush ripe dark fruit, with a core of sweet red currant and strawberry and a bright, fresh finish.

 

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:

 

Delas 2018 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes (Rhone Valley, France)   $27.99 Les Launes offers vibrant aromas of spice-tinged raspberries and wildflowers that pick up a hint of olive as the wine opens up. It’s juicy and nervy in style, with a gently sweet blackberry and cassis character and a lightly peppery edge, plus a hint of violets on the finish.

 

Dr. H. Thanisch 2012 Estate Riesling (Mosel Valley, Germany)   $17.99 This Estate Riesling from one of the Mosel Valley’s finest producers is just like biting into a juicy, crunchy apple, with a dash of citrus plus a hint of minerally slate thrown in. A superb partner with lighter cuisines, and a wonderful apéritif wine all by itself.

 

Imagery 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (California)   $17.99 The Imagery is a soft and smooth Cabernet Sauvignon with well integrated oak. Flavors of dark fruit like blackberry and plum mingle with earthy notes of tobacco leaf, toast, and tea. Accents of spicy clove and pepper from Petite Sirah provide interest and complexity.

 

Folie à Deux 2017 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)   $19.99 Folie à Deux 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir opens with intense aromas of ripe plum, dark cherry and raspberry followed by subtle hints of earthy truffle and spice. Precise and clean, the wine offers a pleasing palate of ripe black cherry fruit edged, with a hint of tobacco leaf.

 

Cheers!

 

Mike Shelhamer

Old Town Wine Cellar

265 S. Main Street, Suite E

Yuma, Arizona 85364

928-373-0405

 

http://www.facebook.com/oldtownwinecellar

 

http://www.yumawine.com