04-24-2012 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:
April is disappearing quickly, so I want to give everyone out there a little advance notice about this year’s Yappy Hour.  In just a little over two weeks from now, on Saturday evening, May 12^th, Planned Pethood of Yuma will present the 4^thAnnual Yappy Hour Wine Tasting Event here at the Old Town Wine Cellar from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.  Planned Pethood is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization that works to raise funds to assist with spay/neuter services for companion cats and dogs that are adopted from the Humane Society of Yuma, and all of the money raised at this event will go towards their ongoing spay/neuter campaign.  Tickets for this year’s event are still just $25 per person ($40 percouple), and there will be an assortment of appetizers to enjoy along with a great selection of wines to sample.  Call
Rene Ragsdale at 920-1769 or Kelley Baliukas at 446-2249 to order your tickets soon.  Save the date, and don’t forget about our regular end-of-the-week wine tastings in the meantime!
THURSDAY & FRIDAY WINE TASTING – $10.00 to try them all, or
$10.00 for a full glass:

Ramon Bilbao 2010 Albariño Valiñas (Rias Baixas, Spain) $14.99
This crisply dry and wonderfully tangy white offers delicate aromas of
citrus, dried flowers and spice.  Vividly etched white peach, pear, pineapple and citrus flavors mingle on the palate.  A fresh, lively acidity carries this nicely to a crisp and mouthwatering finish.
Chalone Vineyard 2007 Estate Pinot Noir (Monterey Co.)    $29.99
Opulent currant and black cherry aromas are accentuated by a light earthiness, like a pine forest after a rain. The same fruit elements in the powerful flavors mingle with light hints of smoky oak and vanilla and build through the long, sweet finish.  It’s harmonious, complex and elegant, with a distinctive mineral edge.
Ramon Bilbao 2008 Rioja Crianza (Rioja, Spain)    $17.99
Bilbao’s Crianza is aged for 15 months in a mix of new French and American oak barrels, imparting an intensely flavorful quality to the wine.  The nose is redolent with aromas of ripe blackberries and plums, and an exotic hint of sandalwood.  In the mouth, this is rich and complex, with plenty of depth and a lengthy finish.
Cusumano 2009 Benuara (Sicily, Italy)   $17.99
Benuara is Cusumano’s proprietary blend of 70% Nero d’Avola (Sicily’s
native grape) with 30% Syrah.  A fine garnet in color with ruby highlights, this exudes aromas redolent of plums and currants.  The medium-bodied palate offers abundant flavors of raspberry, blackberry and plum. Black pepper spice and espresso notes frame the long finish.

Truchard 2009 Syrah (Carneros)    $24.99
This ‘cool climate’ Syrah opens with fragrant aromas of dark fruits.  In the mouth, a dense core of juicy dark cherry and blackberry fruit is robed with
firm tannins and a spicy, lifting acidity.  With air, the spice accents increase in intensity, adding complexity to the finish.
DeLoach Vineyards 2008 O·F·S Zinfandel (Russian River Valley)    $29.99
The O·F·S Zinfandel is sourced from premium Russian River Valley vineyards in warmer areas of the AVA where the grapes ripen over a longer growing season, developing richer and more complex flavors.  Dark ruby in color, this Zin is fully ripe and brambly yet elegant, with deep notes of blackberries and candied fruits accented by hints of lavender and chocolate.
NEW ARRIVALS:
Sartori di Verona 2008 Amarone (Veneto, Italy)    $39.99
The Sartori 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella offers a deep, lavishly
dimensioned bouquet that teems with hints of leather, violets, dried cranberries, cloves and black tea.  It’s dense and concentrated in the mouth yet not heavy, with a gracefully agile, ripe black fruit quality that’s well supported by solid, dusty tannins.
Las Rocas 2008 Garnacha Viñas Viejas (Calatayud, Spain)    $17.99
Conditions are perfect in Spain for the heat-loving Grenache varietal; the result is a wine that offers wonderfully savory flavors of raspberry, pomegranate and peppery spice.  This comes from vines that are 80-100 years of age.  It’s richly flavored, with mineral notes that reflect the depths the roots have reached in their long journey through the parched Spanish soil.
Wattle Creek 2007 Kristine’s Cuvee (Yorkville Highlands,
Mendocino County)    $17.99
This wine displays wonderful “cool climate” attributes of a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend.  Initial aromas of currants, herbs, cracked pepper and spice segue into notes of loamy earth and cedar.  The palate offers a supple and mouthfilling texture, supported by solid tannins.
Full Sail Brewing Extra Special Barney E.S.B. (Hood River,
Oregon)    $5.99
This Extra Special Bitter, a traditional English style ale, is brewed with attention to balance, highlighting both malts and hops.  Five different malt
varieties produce the beer’s copper hue and caramel-ly complexity.  Only English Challenger hops were used to balance its appealingly fruity yeastiness.  It finishes on a deliciously tangy bitter note.
Cheers!
Mike Shelhamer
Old Town Wine Cellar
265 S. Main Street, Suite E
Yuma, Arizona  85364
928-373-0405

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