10/27/2015 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

I want to let everyone know about an event that will take place early next month, on Thursday evening, November 12^th.  Yuma Investment Group will present a benefit wine tasting on the balcony in Yuma’s beautiful City Hall Building right here in Historic Downtown. The wine tasting will be in support of the Yuma Food Bank, and 100% of the proceeds will go to that organization.  The tasting will run from 5:30 to 7:30 in the evening, with all of the wines selected (and poured!) by yours truly.  There will also be a variety of tasty hors d’oevres to sample, prepared by noted local culinary professionals Chef Eddie Guzman and Chef Rashiek Ashford.  Tickets are $50 per person, with a maximum of 100 tickets sold. Tickets are available at Yuma Investment Group’s offices at 182 E. 16^th Street (contact person is Valerie Millsom, 329-1700). Valerie has promised to bring some tickets by for me to sell here at the Wine Cellar as well. It’s going to be a really fun event in a great downtown setting, and it benefits an organization that provides critical support to many lower income and disadvantaged people right here in our community – so get your tickets soon!

 

THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING (Tuesday through Friday):

 

Newton 2013 Chardonnay (Napa Valley)    $19.99
Newton’s “Red Label” Chardonnay offers a bouquet of vibrant fruit notes, from melon to green apple.  The flavors balance ripe fig and pear fruit with racy acidity, and notes of vanilla from barrel fermentation. The grapes were sourced from Newton’s sustainably farmed Los Carneros estate vineyard, and the wine was aged 12 months in French oak.

 

Ferrari Carano 2012 Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)    $24.99
This is sourced from Ferrari Carano’s three estate vineyards in the Anderson Valley.  The nose exudes an array of aromatic delights like black cherry, red plum, raspberry and spice.  The flavors echo the aromas, with added notes of cola and spice.  Finely integrated tannins and deft oak aging give this wine a rich and polished mouthfeel.

 

Ryder Estate 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast)    $12.99
Ryder Estate’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied and elegant, with scents of black currants and dark cherries accented by hints of dark chocolate and vanilla. Alluring flavors of blackberries and blueberries create a lush mid-palate, ending with a fine, savory finish.

 

Viña Zaco 2012 Tempranillo (Rioja, Spain)    $14.99
Viña Zaco is made entirely from Tempranillo, and disregards traditional Rioja designations like Crianza, Reserva, etc.  The goal was simply to create a Rioja that offers the full expression of the varietal.  Raspberry and blackberry fruit is framed with spice in this modern-styled red.

 

Kenwood 2012 Zinfandel, Jack London Vineyard (Sonoma County)    $19.99
Jack London Vineyard is sited high on Sonoma Mountain. The southeasterly exposure and long, cool growing season of this site creates fine complexity and balance in the fruit.  This elegant Zin comes off fresh and fruity, with good acidity supporting dark cherry, raspberry, plum and vanilla-accented flavors.

 

Tenuta di Arceno 2011 Il Fauno di Arcanum (Tuscany, Italy)    $27.99
Tenuta di Arceno lies in the hills of Tuscany’s Chianti region, midway between Florence and Siena. Their Il Fauno di Arcanum is a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Aged one year in 30% new French oak, it shows ripe blackberry, cherry, spice and mineral notes, along with a lively acidity that makes it a great partner with food.

 

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:

 

Baracchi 2013 O’lillo (Tuscany, Italy)    $19.99
O’lillo is a classic “Super-Tuscan” style of wine, an equal mix of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It’s rich and  intense, with a full-bodied palate of cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate flavors and a beautifully long, complex, layered finish.

 

The White Doe 2013 Chenin Blanc-Viognier (California)    $14.99
Chenin Blanc and Viognier together create a harmonious marriage of flavors and textures, with Chenin giving juicy flavors of honeydew melon and bright citrus character layered on the Viognier’s fresh white peach flavors and exquisite floral notes.  Fermented and finished in stainless steel, to emphasize its pure fruit character.

 

Masi 2008 Vaio Armaron Amarone (Veneto, Italy)    $89.99
This is superbly balanced and beautifully integrated, a classic Amarone from one of the Veneto’s premier producers. Rich, exotic aromas of cherry liqueur, toasted wheat bread and leather greet the nose. In the mouth a clean and snappy, spicy raisin-fruit character is carried on a silky frame to a lush, chocolate-tinged finish.

 

Ninkasi Brewing Tricerahops Double IPA (Eugene, Oregon)    $6.99
Tricerahops is double everything you already love in an IPA.  More hops, more malt body and a higher gravity define this hefty brew.  The bigger body and higher alcohol level balance the large volume of hops to create a beer that is hugely flavorful while still balanced and totally drinkable.

 

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