2017 Château la Tour de Beraud Blanc
Costieres de Nimes, FR
Regular Price $13.99
Sale price $10.99
This is a lush and friendly blend of Grenache blanc, Roussanne, Vermentino and Viognier that delivers richness and depth of flavor without burying the fruit with oak. Despite its weight, and it’s a big white, the wine is light on its feet and dances across your palate.
2018 Yalumba Viognier
South Australia
Regular Price $14.99
Sale price $11.99
This wine is difficult for me. I think it’s a very good wine (especially for the $$!) I’m just not sure that I think it’s a very good Viognier. Of course, that suggests that I have a pre-conceived notion of how a Viognier should taste, and yes, absolutely, I do. So this wine has all the qualities that I find attractive in many crisp and clean white wines, it just doesn’t doesn’t taste much like Viognier to me. I’ll say no more. You decide.
2017 Brigaldara Valpolicella
Verona, IT
Regular Price $17.99
Sale price $13.99
Now, this wine, on the other hand, is absolute perfection. Now that doesn’t mean that everyone should love it as I do, but rather, it’s exactly what its meant to be and tastes exactly as it should. Fresh and vibrant with bright cherry and herbal flavors, it delivers a fundamentally solid sip of wine that is delicious and enjoyable. Do you even care what the grapes are? (Corvina 55%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 20%)
2010 Bonfio ‘Le Portine’
Tuscany, IT
Regular Price $16.99
Sale price $12.99
Wines from Italy can be endlessly challenging as the grapes grown there are seldom found elsewhere and the wines are (more often than not) made for ‘the table’. By that I mean that, traditionally, one doesn’t drink wine in Italy as a cocktail or merely for refreshment but rather, accompanied by food. This is a great Sangiovese that exemplifies that approach; the wine is much better with food than its is without. Having said that, however, It’s not terrible without food (its smooth and polished, very balanced) , but it really sings with a pizza or spaghetti and meatballs.
2016 Domaine de Cambis ‘Caudomato’
Saint-Chinian, FR
Regular Price $14.99
Sale price $11.99
This is a wonderful wine that speaks of the Mediterranean coast and the wines and foods from there. Fragrant with herbs and floral notes, its both soft and rustic, very pretty plum and berry notes but not the least bit jammy or over the top. (you do understand that I’m offering compliments, don’t you?)
2017 Vincent Paris Selection VdP Syrah
Cornas, FR
Regular Price $19.99
Sale price $15.99
Syrah (Shiraz) from Australia is jammy and fruit-forward and teeth staining. From California, it’s often bright and juicy, and yes, jammy, but not necessarily as predatory as its Australian cousin. Washington and Oregon make good, dense Syrah, but again, those too lead with fruit. Only in the Northern Rhone is Syrah understated and lyrical, even when its bold and dense. This Syrah is not tutti-fruity or jammy or sweet. It’s balanced and backloaded, meaning that all the pleasure comes from the finish of the wine. It’s just right