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Weekly Specials for August 16, 2007
Tasty Wines of the Week
We're starting to feel a hint of fall in the air, but
hang on to summer as long as possible with these amazing wines.
The 2004 Suhr Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon, Sacrashe Vineyard is a
fantastic wine. From a small vineyard located over Auberge du Soleil has
very limited access to only a few wineries such as Delectus and Suhr
Luchtel. It is on a steep slope and has very low yield and has been
compared to the Beckstoffer in quality. Winemaker Gary Luchtel has
crafted a real fruit bomb here. It explodes on the palate with flavors
of blackberry, smoked meat, black pepper, chocolate and coffee. $64.00
Edmeades is pure Mendocino: intense, challenging, out of the box. It may
be just across the Sonoma County border, but a totally different state
of mind prevails. To capture the soul of these cool, rugged vineyards,
their approach is traditional and their methods decidedly low tech. They
believe in doing things naturally - native yeast fermentations in small
open-top bins, hand punchdowns, minimal manipulation, no fining or
filtration. Edmeades is famous for limited bottlings of cool-climate
Zinfandel that challenge every pre-conceived notion you might have about
this wine. Just 35 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Chase Vineyard was
first planted in 1971. Small head-trained vineyards are farmed
organically in the rich red soils. Grower Leroy Chase stands 6 ft. 4 in.
tall, his work-roughened hands tenderly caring for the vines for 35
years. Like Leroy, the 2005 Edmeades Chase Vineyard Zin is big – a
purple giant in the bottle. Think cherries … loads of ’em!
Chocolate-covered cherries, dried Bing cherries, candied cherries,
perfumed cherries. Mendocino Zin may be known for cherry and berry
flavors, but this bottling is over the top, with cherry bursting out in
all directions, topped with a rich toasty oak bouquet with a touch of
butterscotch. Bold and big, with excellent cellaring potential for five
to ten years. 750 cases produced. $35.00
Here’s a perfect wine for those end of summer get-togethers when we’re
all trying to enjoy the warm weather for a little while longer. The
Pellegrini 2006 Rosato is a lovely wine offering strawberry and white
peach aromas and bracing acidity to balance the juicy palate impression.
The 2006 Pellegrini Rosato can be served with just about anything as
long as the weather is hot and the wine is cold! $16.00
Longboard was born from the passion of Oded Shakked, surfer first,
winemaker later, who brings a unique perspective to winemaking, or
rather winegrowing as he prefers to call it. Inspired by the wines of
the Northern Rhône region, the Longboard 2004 Russian River Valley Syrah
is a spicy little number with an ocean spray-in-your face fresh balance
of earthy and fruit notes. Lush, without being heavy, with licorice,
blackberry and cola notes that yield to coffee and earth nuances. One
percent of Cabernet ensures the wine will age as gracefully as you.
$30.00
A couple of wonderful wines from Zaca Mesa! Zaca Mesa began growing
Rhône varieties in 1978 when they were the first to plant Syrah in Santa
Barbara County. Over the years, they learned that the wines indigenous
to the Rhône Valley of France are ideally suited to their estate. This
reserve blend is inspired by the wines that the vintners of the
Chateauneuf-du-Pape region of the Rhône Valley have been making for
hundreds of years. The 2004 Zaca Mesa Z-Three is a special blend of
Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache representing the best of their vineyards
while capturing the individual characteristic of each grape variety,
each with its own personality: Syrah adds flavors of blackberry and ripe
tannins; Mourvèdre brings notes of blueberry and full mouth-feel; and
Grenache adds lush raspberry liqueur flavors. These rich layers of
flavor create a wine greater than the sum of its parts and enable it to
be enjoyed now or cellar for five to seven years. $50.00
With over 25 years experience growing Chardonnay on the Zaca Mesa
estate, the coolest sections of the estate vineyard have reliably
produced their distinctive style. These sections are planted with two
complimentary clones of Chardonnay - Wente adds subtle nutmeg and clove
notes and Mt. Eden brings tropical fruit flavors. The resulting wine,
the 2005 Zaca Mesa Estate Chardonnay, has ripe pear, tropical and banana
flavors that combine with toasty oak from ten months of barrel aging.
This wine will pair well with butternut squash risotto or grilled salmon
over the next several years. $23.00
Next week – The Family Winemakers Tasting – we’ll have plenty to share
with you from that experience!
Contact us today to place your order!
Cheers,
WineStars
winestar@winestars.com
800.883.1838
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