01/23/2017 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

 

This Saturday, January 28^th, Yuma’s 5th Annual Medjool Date Festival will take place in Historic Downtown from 9AM to 5PM on the Main Street Plaza, presented by Yuma Heritage Festivals and Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers.  Yuma and nearby Bard Valley are among the world’s leading producers of this gourmet date – Medjools grown hereabouts are shipped worldwide.  The festival will feature musical entertainment all day, plus displays of the specialized machinery used to cultivate and harvest dates, cooking demos and recipe contests, historical and art exhibits, farm tours, street vendors and plenty of great festival food.  So save the date (sorry…) and join in the fun downtown this Saturday!

 

THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING:

 

Mer Soleil 2014 Reserve Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)    $24.99
Mer Soleil is always among the richest, most distinctive Chardonnays in all of California. The 2014 offers a lush mouthfeel that’s rich in apricot jam, crème brûlée and toasty butterscotch flavors, but for all that opulence it’s fully dry, with a zesty acidity to balance the creamy finish.

 

Martin Ray 2014 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)    $18.99
100% Pinot Noir, this wine spent 8 months in French oak.  It shows a wonderful bright ruby color, and offers aromas of wild berry fruit with a light touch of earth.  The flavors are full of cherry and raspberry with a soft finish – a perfect match with grilled salmon.

 

Woodwork 2013 Red Blend (Central Coast)    $14.99
Woodwork wines celebrate the craft of winemaking. Each small batch of wine highlights the unique influence of oak aging to bring out a varietal’s natural characteristics.  This one blends the four classic Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, all aged in French white oak.

 

Banfi 2013 Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy)    $19.99
Rosso di Montalcino is often referred to as “baby Brunello.” It’s aged less than its elder, way more expensive counterpart – 12 months in barrel plus at least 6 months in bottle before release.  It offers a dry, round, velvety palate profile and a generous body; characteristics similar to the renowned Brunello di Montalcino wines.

 

Descendientes de J. Palacios 2013 Pétalos Mencia (Bierzo, Spain)    $24.99
The region of Bierzo in northwest Spain is a gaining a lot of notice these days. Mencia, the predominant grape grown there, benefits from the cooler climate, mountainside vineyards, mineral-laden soil and very old vines.  All these conditions help to create  wines with superb concentration, complexity and purity.

 

B.R. Cohn 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma / Napa)    $39.99
The Gold Label Cabernet is made with grapes from select Sonoma and Napa County vineyards, plus some of B.R. Cohn’s own Olive Hill Estate Vineyard fruit. It’s a full-bodied and savory red, with aromas and flavors of ripe currants, plums and cherries plus spicy oak and cedar tones.

 

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:

 

Castello d’Albola 2011 Acciaiolo (Tuscany, Italy)    $49.99
Castello d’Albola’s Acciaiolo is among the premier examples of international-styled ‘Super-Tuscan’ red blends. It’s a structured yet racy red with a bouquet of dark cherries, rose petals and spice.  The palate is full and firm yet still polished and smooth, culminating with a rich, lasting finish.

 

Russo & Longo 2014 Terre di Trezzi (Calabria, Italy)    $22.99
Terre di Trezzi is 100% Greco Bianco, a Calabrian example of the ancient Greco varietal that’s so prevalent in the Italian south.  It produces a white with a striking array of fruit and floral essences, fully dry, but showing a delightfully mouthwatering character.

 

Alamos 2014 Selección Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)    $18.99
The Alamos Selección Malbec shows an opaque dark violet hue.  The nose offers up ripe blueberry fruit with hints of violets and sweet spice.  The mouthfeel is full and rich, with rich blackberry and cherry fruit flavors and a slight black pepper kick.  The finish is smooth and silky, lingering nicely.

 

Mudshark Brewery Abominable Winter Ale (Lake Havasu)    $11.99
Abominable is aged to perfection in Jack Daniels barrels, achieving a rich and oaky character with complex elements of roasted malt, dark chocolate, hops and a gentle smooth warmth from the alcohol. This ale shows coffee, bitter chocolate and roasty, slightly charred tones on a creamy finish.

 

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