03/05/2024 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:
I want to thank everyone that came in last Saturday to celebrate my one-year anniversary at the Wine Cellar. It was a magnificent event with lots of good wine, food, and friends; and the weather was perfect for enjoying our new patio.

In case you have not been in lately we have several new wines on the racks with a few highlighted on Featured Wines of the Week and available by the glass on our selection for Coravin pours. Hope to see you this week.

FEATURED WINES THIS WEEK

(Sample all five featured wines for $15 or by the Glass)

d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab 2021 (McLaren Vale, Australia) $19.99

This blend of Viognier and Marsanne is very aromatic with attractive apricot viognier fruit on the nose and some sweet florals. Fleshy feel on the palate with a riot of stone-fruit, fresh-citrus and green-mango flavors. Such good value and so much flavor on offer.
($10 by the glass)

Department 66 Others 2017 (Maury, France) $23.99

Striking a seemingly perfect balance between plushness and precision, the vibrantly crimson colored 2016 perfumes with cherry cola and fresh flowers while buttressed with brambly garrigue notes and characteristic flinty minerality. Straightforward and compact, the wine opens with bright raspberry and rhubarb and then reveals more nuanced hints of confectioner’s chocolate, schist, and dried herbs. Ever-present, is a satisfying vein of acidity that perfectly supports the wine’s complexity. Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre.
($10 by the glass)

St. Francis Merlot 2019 (Sonoma County, California) $21.99

St. Francis Merlot has intense aromas of cherry compote, black licorice and dark chocolate followed by flavors of ripe plum, dried fig and bright Rainer cherry. Excellent with beef, duck and blue cheese.
($10 by the glass)

Smith and Hook Propriety Red Wine 2021 (Central Coast, California) $22.99

This expressive blend features intense aromas of red and black berries, plums and dark cherries underscored by notes of lavender. The palate is smooth and rich with flavors of dark fruit, bramble berries and a touch of dried eucalyptus and warm spice on a lingering finish. Pairs perfectly with duck confit, charcuterie board, or a pomegranate salad with crispy prosciutto.
($10 by the glass)

Whitehall Lane Tre Leoni Red Wine (Napa Valley California) $34.99

This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel has depth, balance, and big flavors. The nose evokes black cherry pie, tar, licorice, black olives, vanilla, pencil shavings, and notes of chocolate. On the palate, it bursts with fresh blackberries, mixed berry cobbler, toasted walnuts, and chocolate-covered cherries. This wine has a great texture that ultimately finishes with round, silky smooth tannins.
($15 by the glass)

CORAVIN® BY THE GLASS OPTIONS

Beaulieu Vineyard 2019 Georges de Latour Private Reserve (Napa Valley, California) $155.99/Bottle

Wow! The aromas to this are really exceptional, with a tangerine edge to the blackcurrants, graphite, lead pencil, flowers and wet earth. It changes all the time. So expressive and refined. Full-bodied with great intensity and depth of fruit. The ultra-fine tannins display millions of layers. The texture on the palate is superb and lasts for minutes. This is the new 1974 George de Latour, which was a legend. Real Napa Valley red here. Drinkable now, to understand it, but truly great in five to six years and onwards.
($32 per glass)

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Columbia Valley, Washington) $145.99/Bottle

A study in refinement and elegance, fruit takes a back seat to floral, savory and mineral elements in the wine’s aromatics of violet, lavender, sage and subtle black currant. The palate is a velvety mouth-feel and slowly reveals dark-fruit character as it progresses, which lasts long on the palate. This wine will soften with some time.
($30 per glass)

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Alexander Valley, California) $104.99/Bottle

The 2019 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of red cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iris, vanilla, and clove. Ruby in color, this elegant wine has great acidity and lift on the mid-palate. Black currant and warm baking spices linger with a deep and fruity finish. It will provide drinking pleasure through 2047 given proper cellaring. Blend: 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, 0.4% Petit Verdot.
($25 per glass)

JUSTIN 2019 Isosceles (Paso Robles, California) $89.99/Bottle

Isosceles presents with aromatic notes of ripe blackberry, juicy black plum, and cassis with dried violet, leather, vanilla bean, fresh herbs, camphor, and toasted oak. Full-bodied with baked black cherry pie, fresh mission fig, and black currant on the entry. The midpalate of new leather, fresh wild sage, porcini mushroom, dried black olive, and cedar is carried by balanced freshness and abundant velvety tannins that lead to a long, complex finish of sustained fresh berries, camphor, oak, toasted cinnamon stick, star anise, and dried flowers.
($22 per glass)

DAOU Reserve 2020 Seventeen Forty (Paso Robles, California) $78.99/Bottle

Inspired by the classics of Saint-Émilion, the 2020 DAOU Reserve Seventeen Forty is a Cabernet Franc driven wine with a harmonious complement of Merlot. Beguiling aromas of blackberry cobbler, raspberry, crème de cassis and cherry pipe tobacco anticipate hints of toasty oak, black licorice and pencil shaving. Lush and full bodied, this wine bestows rich flavors of cherry, black plum, dark chocolate and blueberry compote with lovely accents of Zante currant, graphite and cinnamon. Solid structure and fine-grained tannins support a lengthy, focused finish, leaving notes of plum and boysenberry underscored by cocoa and black truffle.
($20 per glass)

Zenato 2017 Amarone Classico (Veneto, Italy) $74.99/Bottle

Dense and concentrated, yet still beautifully balanced and well-integrated, this is classic Amarone. Lush aromas of plums, dates and toasted oak greet the nose. It’s rich and full on the palate with layers of ripe, raisiny fruit and super-silky tannins to give it grip on the lengthy finish. A truly elegant, stylish wine.
($15 per glass)

NEW ARRIVALS

Susana Balbo Signature Brioso White Blend 2022 (Mendoza, Argentina) $29.99

This is a wine with many aromatic layers, floral and citrus notes that combine with hints of fresh grass, white fruits, and orange. On the palate, floral, fresh, and fruity flavors are in perfect balance with the unctuousness of a successful aging in barrels. A mineral, persistent finish, and a great aging potential. Blend: 38% Semillón, 34% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Torrontés.
#82 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023.

Opaque Petit Verdot 2018 (Paso Robles, California) $29.99

This wine has aromas of black currant, creamy caramel, and light lavender. A full-bodied palate, where the rich fruit and cocoa flavors are balanced by firm tannins and depth with a lengthy finish. Pairs excellently with spiced meats and pungent cheeses. Try it with lamb kabobs, an aged brie, or even mole negro with chicken.

Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenère 2021 (Colchagua Valley, Chile) $15.99

This wine is recognized for being seductive, voluptuous, smooth, and satisfying. Very fruity on the nose with notes of ripe cherry, blackberry, black plum, and dried fig followed by notes of nutmeg and vanilla. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère. Pairs well with stir-fried beef, pork chops, spaghetti bolognese, lamb chops, and mushroom risotto.

Cheers!

Kim Maloney
Old Town Wine Cellar
265 S. Main Street, Suite E
Yuma, Arizona 85364
928-373-0405