02/21/2012 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:
This week, from Thursday, February 23^rd to Saturday, February 25^th,
Old Town Yuma plays host to the 33rd Annual Yuma Art Symposium.  This is a “total immersion art weekend” with fun events and multi-disciplinary presentations by nationally and even internationally known visual artists – we’re talking 13 artists in total, with expertise in metals, clay, papermaking, painting and drawing, special presentations, book arts, sculpture, wood and photography.  For more info, visit www.yumasymposium.org.  The Symposium is sponsored by the City of Yuma, the Yuma Art Center, Arizona Western College, The Gowan Company, Yuma Fine Arts Association, Friends of the Yuma Symposium and Tomkins Pottery.  Fine art is a wonderful part of life, just like fine wine – check it out!
THURSDAY & FRIDAY WINE TASTING – $10.00 to try them all, or
$10.00 for a full glass:

Groth 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley)    $18.99
This wine was produced with grapes sourced from various microclimates of the Napa Valley.  Fruit from warmer sites accounts for a lush and rich melon/citrus character in both the aromas and flavors.  The grapes from
cooler vineyard sites impart a crisp backbone, giving this a tangy liveliness
that balances the delicious cream quality achieved from “sur lie” aging.
Truchard 2010 Roussanne (Carneros)    $19.99
This Napa version of the little-known Rhone Valley white varietal is a rich, aromatic and mouth-filling wine.  The nose offers an exotic mix of apple,
honeydew and pineapple aromas.  On the palate, a fruit-basket of juicy peach, pear and nectarine flavors are supported by crisp, bright acidity.  The clean,
elegant finish offers a fine, lingering interplay of citrus, minerals and spice.
Capafons-Ossó 2004 Vessants (Montsant, Spain)    $17.99
The Montsant region adjoins the much more well-known region of Priorat in northeast Spain, with essentially the same climate, soils and terrain.  The
Vessants is a unique blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carignan and Syrah grapes.  The result is a fruit-filled yet surprising complex red, with velvety tannins and a slightly smoky finish.
Castello Banfi 2009 Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy)
$22.99
Made from 100% Sangiovese, Rosso di Montalcino is known as “baby Brunello.”  It’s aged much  less than its elder, more prestigious sibling
– 12 months in barrel followed by at least 6 months in the bottle before
release.  It offers a dry, round, velvety palate profile and a generous body – characteristics very similar to those found in the great Brunellos.
Parducci 2007 True Grit Petite Sirah (Mendocino County)   $19.99
True Grit is classic California Petite Sirah.  The color is an inky purple; no light passes through.  The nose exhibits rich blackberry fruit laced with spice and white pepper notes.   An intense rush of blackberry, dark chocolate, pepper and caramel flavors overwhelm the palate.  This wine cries out for grilled meat…
Girard 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)    $29.99
This showcases the ripe, rich fruit and polished tannins the Napa Valley is famous for.  On the nose, juicy blackberry and currant fruit tones mix with hints of sage, anise, cocoa and mint.  A full-bodied palate exhibits fine but firm tannins, providing a nice counterpoint to the abundant fruit.
NEW ARRIVALS:
Skalli 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Tiare du Pape (Rhone Valley,
France)    $34.99
This Châteauneuf is composed primarily of Grenache (60%); the balance is Syrah (20%) and Mourvedre (20%).  It’s sleek and racy on the palate, with an array of black currant, fig and red raspberry fruit flavors balanced with accents of black pepper and espresso.  Vivid black and red fruit tones linger at the finish.
Gundlach Bundschu 2010 Gewürztraminer (Sonoma Coast)    $19.99
Exotic aromas of lychees, orange blossoms and spices leap from this dry,
Alsatian-style Gewürztraminer.  Ripe, round fruit flavors of white pears,
lychee, tangerine and kumquat are lifted by the bright acidic structure into a lingering, spicy finish.  Gewürz makes a fine apértif by itself, and partners superbly with spicy cuisine like Indian, Chinese and Thai food.
Chalone Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir (Monterey County)    $15.99
Fragrant aromas of lavender, black cherry and a touch of cedar introduce
this highly approachable and very user-friendly Pinot.  Ripe and juicy dark fruit flavors emerge on the palate, picking up raspberry and spice.  The mouthfeel is soft and silky throughout.
Veramonte 2009 Primus Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua Valley, Chile)    $19.99
The Primus opens with a nose of ripe blackberry fruit, plus a subtle note of lightly toasted oak.  In the mouth, rich layers of crushed dark cherry and cassis fruit are well-integrated with toasty oak and smoky spice notes, carried on a smooth and elegant tannic frame.
St. Bernardus Tripel Abbey Ale (Belgium)    $12.99
Water pumped from artesian wells 150 meters down is the basis for all the St.
Bernardus beers.  After brewing, the beer is matured naturally and bottled unfiltered, and then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle.  This Tripel has a pale amber color and a flowery, fruity character that creates a fine balance between sweet and sour, ending with a delicate bitterness.
Stone Brewing Old Guardian Barleywine (Escondido)    $6.99
Known affectionately as the “OG”, it’s an über malty, super hoppy mega-beer.  The 2012 release is distinctly rich and malty, with a very pronounced bready/yeasty ester profile, toffee malt flavors and a tropical fruit-like hoppiness.  Rich, smooth and just a bit sweet upfront, at mid-palate it transitions to a pleasant dryness, and then a lingering, hoppy bitterness on the 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