MAY 2012
May 29th 5pm- ALLAGASH Brewing Co Tap take over! Join Les Addis from Allagash Brewing as we tap 5 rare kegs from the brewery.
June 1st 5pm- RARE Breckenridge CASK! Join Justin Deyton from Breckenridge Brewery as we tap a fresh CASK of 471 IPA and a 1/6 barrel of Vanilla Porter.
Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting– Saturday, May 26th, 2012 3PM-7PM
http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
Do you know the best thing about drinking a well made, classical example of an old world fine wine? Realizing that with a little careful planning and patience the wine will blossom with age and reward again and again until its beauty peaks, slowly but surely drifting into the recesses of its glass bottle, a pale reflection of itself. This willful self denial by wine consumers has been a staple since the days when ancient peoples buried clay vessels filled with thick aromatic grape juice, clearly understanding the value(and need) of aging wine to soften its rough edges. Lately we’ve heard tell that the olden days of cellarmanship, literal decades spent waiting to enjoy a wines full potential are gone. With the advent of modern wine making technology, the most noteworthy cellar wines are now at least slightly more enjoyable upon release. This week: Wines for the Cellar TUSCANY & Sangiovese “sanguis Jovis” The Blood of Jove.
Most wines are unfortunately not meant to see much aging and are completely enjoyable in the short term. With that said, there are still plenty of wines that are produced in regions steeped in traditions of days past. One of those regions is Tuscany. The most important keys to their tradition is growing the right grape varities in the right soils in the right climate, 99% of our portfolio adheres to this philosophy. This Saturday Mike Tiano will be pouring a few young new favorites, a wine made from Grandfather vines, and an older red that is drinking amazingly now but has plenty of meat left on its bones.
Moris Farms Vermentino Maremma Toscana– -100% Vermentino from the Maremma, a bright sunny, coastal area of Tuscany. All stainless steel tank, hints of apricots, fresh cut grass, and floral elements. Just over 2000 cases made. Drink now. Shelf $15.99 Tasting $14.39
Le Calle Campo Beo– Le Calle is located in Montecucco, part of the upper Tuscan Maremma, a collection of gentle, green hills that extend down to the coastline. It is a very important viticultural area being just south of the elite zone of Montalcino. Campo Beo is made from 20 year old vines of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo, and 10% Ciliegiolo. Ricardo chooses to hand harvest the fruit for this bottling to prevent damage to the clusters. These pristine grapes are then fermented in stainless steel at a controlled moderate temperature to retain clean red fruit aromas. Organically Farmed. Shelf $12.99 Tasting $11.69
Tenuta Canale Merlot di Toscano– Tuscany, Italy. Tenuta Canale is located close to the medieval towns of Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and Siena, in the heart of the Chianti hills, where the Aiello family farm has been producing wines for decades. The wine is designated “IGT” (Indicazione geografica tipica), meaning a wine that is typical of its geographic area, in this case Tuscany. IGT wines are labeled with the locality of their creation, but do not meet the requirements of the stricter DOC or DOCG designations, which are generally intended to protect traditional wine formulations such as Chianti or Barolo. In wine terms, it is considered the rough Italian equivalent of the French vin de pays designation. 100% older vine Merlot, think of it as a “Super Tuscan” (without the overt french oak) that drinks like a “Right Bank” Bordeaux. Classic fleshy merlot, mouthwatering texture with traditional black cherry spice with woody nuances from barrel aging. Only a few cases of this amazing wine were produced, we’ve already sold half a dozen cause it drinks like a rock star! Shelf $17.99 Tasting $16.19
Tenuta Canale Vigna del Nonno Chianti Classico– 90 Sangiovese/10 Colorino. From Andrea’s oldest Sangiovese vineyard, named after his grandfather. Incredible structure with classic notes of bright cherry, tobacco, cedar and a velvety texture. This wine will only continue to get better in the bottle, easily achieving the complexity of Brunello’s twice the price. Grab some for the cellar. Shelf $21.99 Tasting $19.79
Caprili Rosso di Montalcino– 100% native yeast fermented, young vine Sangiovese Grosso(Brunello) from the esteemed Caprili estate in Montalcino, just down slope from the historic town center. Fruit forward with refreshing acidity and a long finish. Caprili’s Rosso, as with their Brunello, will gratefully reward with a couple more years of bottle aging so grab some for the cellar! Shelf $23.99 Tasting $21.00
Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting– Saturday, May 19th, 2012 3PM-7PM
http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
PLEASE NOTE: Appalachian Vintner will be closing this Saturday @ 8:00PM.
This Saturday we are thrilled to welcome Elaine Garber, owner of World Premier Wines. Elaine and her partners import small family estates from South Africa. Appalachian Vintner has put together a collection of our favorites for your tasting pleasure. The Cederberg & Paul Cluver estate wines hail from nature preserves that are considered “cool” climate mountainous areas, terms that are not synomomous with South Africa. The one wine not from areas such as this happens to contain juice from 80 year old Chenin Blanc vines!
Paul Cluver Gewürztraminer– Gewürztraminers fame is mainly drawn from wines produced in the Alsace region of France and areas in Germany & northern Italy. Occasionally you find a few new world examples that warrant attention. The Cluver families Gewürztraminer is one of those examples. It’s grown on their cool climate estate in Elgin which falls with in the limits of The Kogelberg Nature Reserve ……more Shelf $14.99 Tasting $13.49
Cederberg Bukettraube– Bukettraube (/bu-ket-trau-be/) is a variety of German or Alsatian origin. Sebastian Englerth is supposed to have created it in Randersacker in the 19th century by crossing Silvaner and Schiava Grossa. While there are a few plantations in other countries besides South Africa growing Bukettraube, the best examples available for export are coming from here. One of our all time best selling off-dry whites, Cederberg Bukettraube seriously one of the most versatile foods wines out there. Limited! …….more Shelf $17.99 Tasting $15.99 Special 6pk Price $14.99
The Winery of Good Hope Vinum Africa Chenin Blanc– Done in the style of the great barrel aged Semillon from Barossa this wine does see sometime in oak, adding to its complexity. A bright nose of pear, bruised apple and apricot with a prudent use of oak allowing the nose to achieve good balance and clarity. The palate is well-defined with a crisp, honeycomb tinged entry, a little spice and orange rind, leading to a finish with great weight and personality ……more Shelf $16.99 Tasting $15.29
Paul Cluver Pinot Noir– As stated above the wines from Elgin are considered cool climate, sharing a very similar climate as that of Burgundy France! This all makes perfect sense once you stick your nose into a glass of this Pinot, it screams bourgogne rouge! Bright candied cherry, flowers and earth with a crisp red currant snap on the finish, very nice …….more Shelf $19.99 Tasting $17.99
Cederberg Cabernet Sauvignon– The Cederberg Mountain Range is the home to a rare Clanwilliam Cedar tree,Widdringtonia Cedarbergensis, one of Africa’s few remaining trees dating back to the age of the dinosaurs. The winery itself is literally the highest vineyard in S. Africa and produces amazing wines, the Cab being on of our favorites ……more Shelf $26.99 Tasting $24.29
Cederberg Shiraz– What a cool opportunity we have on Saturday with this wine! Elaine has offered to bring a three year vertical (2005, 07, 08) of the Cederberg Shiraz for our tasting. We will have the 2005 available for purchase that evening and we will be offering special orders on a three bottle purchase containing each year. Special Pricing will be available on the vertical in person the night of the tasting.
Caprili Brunello di Montalcino
Cultivate Wines- this company donates 10% of sales to charity: Wonderlust Chardonnay 3L box Copa Cobanna Chilean Red 3L box Double Blind Pinot Grigio
The Gambler Malbec Dream Walking Chardonnay The Feast Red Blend
2010 Marchiori & Barraud Malbec– 92pts
Regaleali Le Rosé Sicilia
Maculan Pino & Toi
Pasanau Cep Nous– 90 pts
Celler Dosterras Vespres– 92 pts
Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero
Can Feixes Blanco Seleccio
Bodegas Tikalo Albaliza Tinto
2001 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial– 94pts
Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Blanco– quite possibly the best white Rioja for the money
Domaine de Couron Coteaux de l’Ardèche Rosé
Château d’Oupia Vin de Pays de l’Hérault Les Hérétiques
Duval-Leroy Brut Rosé Champagne– 90 pts
2006 Duval-Leroy Brut Paris
2009 Sumarroca Brut Reserva Cava
David Hill Estate Pinot Noir– another super value from Willamette Valley OR.
Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava
Don Conde Brut Cava
Grey Stack Bennett Valley Chardonnay
Black Oak Chardonnay– solid value brand with no rough edges
Black Oak Merlot
Mars & Venus Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & Merlot
Hope Estate Chardonnay
d’Arenberg The Stump Jump GSM
Coopers Creek Pinot Noir
Höpler Grüner Veltliner
Ommegang Art of Darkness
Dogfish Head Urkontinent
Pisgah LEAF Amber– 22oz
North Coast Grand Cru
North Coast Old Stock Otsuchi Commemorative Ale– 750ml
New Belgium Tart Lychee
Catawba Valley Firewater IPA CANS
Victory Saison du Buff
Mother Earth Wit
21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon
2010 Kasteel Cuvee Chateau Kasteel
2011 Allagash Curieux
2010 Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter
Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura
Jolly Pumpkin i.O. Saison
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
2010 Espresso Yeti
2012 Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale
Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting– Saturday, May 12th, 2012 3PM-7PM
http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
Just returned from a lovely luncheon with Saturdays featured distributor and one of the two importers we will be featuring during our tasting. The food was amazing (Cúrate) and the wine delicious, a precise sampling of artisan bliss. Somewhere between sipping and sampling an all too familiar realization arose: regarding wines produced abroad, small family importers truly are as important in keeping quality high and pricing low as the farms where they are produced. This weekend we have Bourgeois Family Selections (Asheville NC) & Valkrie Selections (San Francisco CA) on the tasting menu.
EL XAMFRÀ Mercat Brut Cava– Penedès Spain. In 1872, Josep Raventos began experimenting with Spanish wines made in the same manner as was being done in Champagne, France – and hence, CAVA was born. There are over six regions with the DO Cava status, though over 90% of production is from the Penedes region. This custom label for Valkyrie immediately impressed us with its nutty aromas and yeasty complexity ………more Shelf $13.99 Tasting $12.59
Elicio Blanc– 100% Vermentino. Raphaël Trouiller uses his experience as a “vigneron” to produce Elicio Blanc 100% Vermintino in the south of the Rhône Valley. A clear, golden color with intense notes of passion fruit, white flowers and lychee – a tropical fruit native to China. A very refreshing wine, this white is round on the palate with sweet pear notes accented by a touch of citrus. It is bright, very crisp and with just enough acidity to pair well with light summer dishes. Sustainable Estate…….more Shelf $9.99 Tasting $8.99
Elicio Rosé– 80% Grenache, 20% Cinsault. A fresh and fruity summer rosé packed with early spring strawberries, currants and raspberry. The palate is infinitely satisfying with gobs of creamy red berries. Delish ………moreShelf $9.99 Tasting $8.99
Domaine du Châteaumar Côtes du Rhône Cuvee Bastien– 100% single vineyard old vine Grenache. This is declassified Châteauneuf-du-Pape at its finest, it smells like freshly picked morel mushrooms and soil that were coated in a thick blackberry puree. The texture of this wine is like eating jam and almost as weighty as liquid chocolate. Needless to say, we’ve sold it every vintage since 2005, it has NEVER disappointed and actually ages quite well. Recently opened a 2006 that was really rockin’ Sustainable. ……more Shelf $15.46 Tasting $13.91
Tomàs Cusiné Vilosell– 43% Tempranillo, 18% Syrah, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 % Merlot, 6% Carinyena & 3% Garnacha from the Costers del Segre DO surrounded by a Mediterranean thyme, rosemary, pine, oak and acacia forest, at an altitude between 2200 and 2500 feet in the middle of the mountains at the far north coast of Spain. A wide aromatic spectrum of red fruits, raspberries, blueberries, and spices (think white pepper, clove, and cocoa). Intense and voluminous in the mouth, smooth with mineral slate tones, some licorice, and sweet round tannins ……..more Shelf $16.99 Tasting $15.29
~New Arrivals
Caprili Brunello di Montalcino
Regaleali Le Rosé Sicilia
Maculan Pino & Toi
Pasanau Cep Nous– 90 pts
Celler Dosterras Vespres– 92 pts
Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero
Can Feixes Blanco Seleccio
Bodegas Tikalo Albaliza Tinto
2001 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial– 94pts
Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Blanco– quite possibly the best white Rioja for the money
Domaine de Couron Coteaux de l’Ardèche Rosé
Château d’Oupia Vin de Pays de l’Hérault Les Hérétiques
Duval-Leroy Brut Rosé Champagne– 90 pts
2006 Duval-Leroy Brut Paris
2009 Sumarroca Brut Reserva Cava
David Hill Estate Pinot Noir– another super value from Willamette Valley OR.
Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava
Don Conde Brut Cava
Grey Stack Bennett Valley Chardonnay
Black Oak Chardonnay– solid value brand with no rough edges
Black Oak Merlot
Mars & Venus Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & Merlot
Hope Estate Chardonnay
d’Arenberg The Stump Jump GSM
Coopers Creek Pinot Noir
Höpler Grüner Veltliner
Ommegang Art of Darkness
Dogfish Head Urkontinent
Pisgah LEAF Amber– 22oz
North Coast Grand Cru
North Coast Old Stock Otsuchi Commemorative Ale– 750ml
New Belgium Tart Lychee
Catawba Valley Firewater IPA CANS
Victory Saison du Buff
Mother Earth Wit
21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon
2010 Kasteel Cuvee Chateau Kasteel
2011 Allagash Curieux
2010 Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter
Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura
Jolly Pumpkin i.O. Saison
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja